The Love Of An Angel
by SilverBlue Dragon
Summary: It's been four years since the Hanagumi was created. Still the end of the war isn't near. A mysterious old friend of Ayame comes to change the events course... Who is she and will she be able to help?
1. Into The Heart Of The Hanagumi

Disclaimer: I don't own Sakura wars. I'm just a big fan. I do however own my own characters and story line. The story might contain violence, abusive language and sexual scenes. If you are underage you'd better stop here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story, have fun :)

The parts in _italic_ are the characters thoughts.

This is my first ever fanfic, so be gentle on me :) Enjoy!

Chapter 1 Into The Heart Of The Hanagumi

Teito, 1928

It's a beautiful day in the imperial capital. It's September already and the trees are beginning to change color. The soft rays of the late afternoon sun gently caress the garden of the TeiGeki. Under the shade of the tall trees all the girls from the Imperial Flower Troupe relax after a wonderful performance. It's been four years since they've been together and they haven't changed much. That's not physically speaking, of course. Iris has become a beautiful teenager and naturally has started to develop curves; Sakura's hair has grown even longer; Sumire and Kohran look more and more like women whit each day that has passed; and if you look closely in Maria's and Kanna's eyes you can see the weight of years.

On a small table Kanna and Sumire are playing cards. All of a sudden Kanna jumps out of her chair:

"You're cheating again cactus woman!" she yells throwing the cards in Sumire's face.

"I most certainly am not!", quickly replies Sumire red with anger, "How dare you call me like that you… you… you ape woman!"

"Who you're calling ape woman, you pathetic excuse for a living creature!"

At this point Sumire gets really mad and tries to hit Kanna, not knowing what else to do. The red head just smiles grabbing the fragile girl by the wrist and holding her in the air.

"Haven't you learnt that attacking me like that won't do anything!" the tall woman giggled complacently .

"Stop it you two, you're scaring Iris!" cried Sakura, holding firmly the young blond teenager to her bosom.

"Stay out of it stupid little country girl!" screamed Sumire with all her might. Iris clucked even tighter into the pink kimono of the young black-haired woman.

"I'm really, really sorry Sumire-san. Gomen nasai!" said Sakura quickly trying as hard as she can to hold her tears, but in vain. Not a second after, she started to cry as if the world was crashing around her. She dropped on the ground still holding Iris tight.

"Please don't cry Sakura-neechan, please. Iris is very sad when you cry!" sobbed the blond girl and tears started falling quietly from her blue eyes.

"Now looked at what you've did you bloodless reptile! Why did you have to speak to Sakura like that?" asked Kanna with a frown on her face.

"It's not my problem that she is a stupid, good-for-nothing country girl!" replied Sumire glad that Kanna loosened her grip and she could feel her hand again.

"That's enough, all of you!" shouted Maria and Ohgami and the same time, who up till now were busy joking around Cesar's and Hannibal's tactics. Ohgami went to Sakura gently putting his hand on her shoulder and wiping her tears with his thumb.

"There, there Sakura… She really didn't mean that, no need to cry." The young man smiled and looked into the big brown eyes of the shaken girl. Still sobbing, she forced a smile, not even trying to hide the faint blush on her cheeks.

At the same time Maria was dealing with Sumire and Kanna.

"What's up with you two. Can't we have at least one day without you arguing over something! Think of what you're doing to the team!" Maria's tone was so strict and angered that both the girls looked down ashamed, replying at the same time:

"Sorry, Maria."

"You better be." said the blond with a slight treat in her voice.

For a few quiet moments everybody was calm and relaxed. Then all of a sudden a loud explosion was heard and the garden was filled with ashes and tick smoke.

"KOHRAN!" everybody screamed with a mixture of panic and anger in their voices.

"Ha, ha… Sorry everybody." said the purple haired girl (well her hair looked blacker at that moment, as did everybody else's for that matter). "Must have put the wrong stuff… again."

"You idiot!" cried Sumire. "You ruined my best kimono and I've just washed my hair this morning!"

"I'm really sorry Sumire-san, I didn't do it on purpose."

"I'll fix you, you nerd!" threatened Sumire.

"Calm down, Sumire." Said Ohgami.

" But she… "

"I said CALM DOWN" said the captain more firmly. "Now Kohran you must be more careful. You could have hurt yourself or the others."

"I promise I will, taicho. I'm really sorry everyone. I'll prepare you all a nice warm bath and clean up this mess I made."

From one of the windows a middle-aged brunet was watching the scene.

_I can't believe it's been four years already. They haven't changed a bit. They fight well in battles, their performances have improved significantly, but concerning team spirit they're still far from the team they should be. If that doesn't change, and fast, I fear that we might lose the war…_

Major Ayame Fudjieda sat behind her desk and a small tear fell down on her last report._ No, I mustn't let myself even think of such a possibility. We will win this war. I just wished I knew what to do…_

Author's note:

Here's some update on the age of the main characters for you guys:

Sakura 23

Sumire 21

Maria 25

Iris 15

Kanna 25

Kohran 21

Ohgami 25

Yoneda 67

Ayame 41

Kaede 29

Kayama 26

Top of Form

Bottom of Form


	2. An Unexpected Visitor

Disclaimer: I don't own Sakura wars. I'm just a big fan. I do however own my own characters and story line. The story might contain violence, abusive language and sexual scenes. If you are underage you'd better stop here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story, have fun :)

Chapter 2 An Unexpected Visitor

A few weeks later, everybody is in the common room enjoying the unusual, but surely well deserved, silence and peace. Sakura, Iris and Kohran are playing a board game; Sumire is deep in a romantic novel; Maria and Kanna are talking quietly by the window; for a change Ohgami isn't till his neck in paperwork and is also here sitting on the rail of the opened window drawing in his notebook and occasionally throwing a glance at the girls and smiling.

In a nick of time this relaxed and joyful atmosphere gives way to tension when simply out of the blue the doors of the room open and figure wrapped in a dark cloak appeared.

"Who are you and what do you want?" asked Ohgami, quickly recovering from the initial surprise. "And how the heck did you get in here!"

"Since you asked so nicely…" replied in ridicule the dark figure "I want to speak to Lieutenant Ayame Fujieda. Take me to her." Its voice was so demanding that the Hanagumi needed few minutes to regain their cool.

"Guys, Iris sense a lot of energy, but Iris can't tell if it is good or bad." said quietly the scared teenager.

"I don't know a Lieutenant Fujieda, but I'm pretty sure that the Major Ayame Fujieda isn't expecting visitors, so leave or suffer the consequences." threatened Ohgami.

"You would've already be sorry if I hade my naginata with me!" hissed Sumire.

_Major Fujieda… Wow, she certainly hasn't been lying down. Has it really been that long…_

The dark blue cloak was covering a great deal of the person's face, but even so everyone could see the sinister smile on her lips.

"You really think you could stop me!" the ironic tone of the dark figure's voice was so obvious that Kanna lost her temper.

"That's it, whoever you are. You break in our home, insult us and expect to get away with it! I don't think so!" and without wasting any time the red haired karate master dashed at the mysterious intruder.

In less than a second the dark blue cloak flew in the air revealing its owner. Everybody was taken aback and Kanna froze in her steps. In front of them stood a beautiful woman in her late twenties with long night black hair, tied in a pony tail, and deep hazelnut brown eyes. She was rather short, not taller than 1,60 – 1,65m, but her body was well build with harmonious proportions. Her skin was dark, showing she came from a southern country. She was dressed in low-cut brown leather pants with a solid belt, high-healed boots and a matching bra-like top, which made Sumire's style of wearing a kimono look formal. (And indeed had had a lot to offer, if you know what I mean).

"So, you'll be first Miss Kirishima." Hearing her name made Kanna even more puzzled, as well as all the others. "Bring it on red head!" laughed the other woman.

That made the tall okinawan snap out of her trance and fiercely attack. Yet all the kicks and punches she threw at the mystery woman seemed in vain, because without even breaking a sweat and slick as a cat she avoided them all.

"Is that all you can give?" mocked the black-haired stranger.

This remark made Kanna angrier, if that's even possible. She charged with all her might, just to be thrown away in the air by a single effortless kick.

"This is Tangra – an ancient Bulgarian martial art that uses the strength of the opponent against him. The stronger the opponent, the better." smiled the dark lady. "Anyone care to be next?"

At the same moment Iris returned to the room with Arataka, Sumire's naginata and Ohgami's two swords. When everyone has recovered from the shock at the sight of the intruder she had teleported herself to get her friends' weapons.

"Iris thinks that these might come in handy" said the blond girl, her face lighted by a glorious smile.

"Arigato gozaimasu, Iris" replied the others.

Holding her naginata in hands, Sumire cried "How dare you insult Kanna, only I have that privilege! You'll pay!" and ran infuriated towards her opponent.

With a quick movement the mysterious woman threw her hand in the air and fragment by fragment in it appeared a spear-like weapon with a very strange blade.

"This is a Kwan-Dao, an ancient Chinese weapon. Ready to taste it's rage, Miss Kanzaki?" laughed the dark lady.

"I guess all about you is really ancient. You're toys won't scare me, the great Sumire Kanzaki! Prepare to be given a modern time lesson!" Sumire gave out a war cry and dashed at her opponent head on.

The mysterious woman easily blocked her attack. Sumire decided to try another angle and tried slashing her down from below, but it was like the woman knew exactly what the browned haired girl was thinking because she countered that attack as well.

"Now it's my turn to play rough, Miss Kanzaki!" smirked the dark warrior. She started charging at Sumire gradually pushing her back. After maybe five or six attacks she jumped into the air with her Kwan-Dao above her head. With one single slash, she cut Sumire's naginata in two. The impact of the hit threw the heir of the Kanzaki empire to the other side of the room.

A sharp sound was heard.

"Not so fast Miss Tachibana. You should have waited your turn!" grinned the black head, jumping back on her hands, drawing her gun and shooting before getting back on her feet with a cat's agility. With that move she dodged the bullet fired at her, but Maria wasn't so lucky. She dropped her Enfield Star Revolver with a cry of pain.

_My hand… It's just burned, she was aiming at my gun, not at me. But she could have taken me down, why didn't she take the shoot?... _

A few levels below the ground in the command centre of the Hanagumi Strike Force, Yuri was shouting at Ayame:

"Vice-commander we are detecting a spiritual power source even greater than Satani! But we can't determine whether it is good or bad!"

"Where is it coming from, Yuri?"

"Inside the building, in the common room!"

"Let's go Major!" said an old man from the shadows. "The girls might be in danger!"

"Yes, General Yoneda! I'm right behind you, sir."

Meanwhile in the common room…

"Come on, you guys! Don't tell me that's all you've got!" ironically remarked the hazel-eyed woman. "What about you Miss Shinguji? Scared? I wonder…would you be able to live up to your father's name, eh?"

"Oh you!" said Sakura through her teeth "Arataka and me are going to make you pay for your insults!"

"Take your best shoot!"

Sakura yelled a war cry and ran to her enemy, with her spirit sword in hands. The short woman put away her gun and drew a long Japanese sword from her back.

"Meet Phoenix." said the dark figure, not even moving an inch. "Now, let's teach you a lesson."

When the two swords touched each other sparks flew in the air. Sakura was attacking with such rage that left all her comrades amazed. It was almost like another person was possessing her body. But in vain. Her opponent was faster and stronger and soon the Japanese swordswoman lost grip of the Arataka and found herself on the floor. The sword flew in the air and landed softly in the free hand of the mysterious lady.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of it!" she smiled.

"Give Sakura's sword back!" screamed Ohgami.

"Dare to fight me for it Ichiro!"

"Prepare to meet your doom!" replied the spiky-haired man. He drew both his swords and attacked. He was very surprised to see that his opponent didn't dispose of any of the swords and instead took an attack-pose for a two sword fight. She was moving like a panther, turning gently like a slow tornado pushing Ohgami to the opened window.

"Give up?" she smirked pointing one of her blades towards his throat.

"Never!" answered Ohgami throwing her blade aside with one of his and giving a slash

with the other. Too late, the woman leaped in the air and landed softly a couple of meters back. Ohgami dashed at her, but when he approached she struck both his hands making him drop the swords.

"Give up now?" she gave off a self-satisfactory smile.

"Don't you dare hurt my oniichan!" cried a tiny voice from the far end of the room. "Iris won't let you do anything to him!" the blue-eyed girl concentrated really hard and made a huge yellow dome of energy.

"Don't go there little one." warned the short woman, but the teenager wasn't listening. The black head closed her eyes and gave off a sea blue aura. Somewhere in the middle of the room the two energies collided. For a few moments no one could prevail, but eventually the blue aura pushed the yellow back.

_No… _thought the mysterious woman and her aura faded. Iris charged with all her energy. The hazel-eyed figure glowed in yellow and gave off a terrible cry dropping the two swords. At the exact same moment Yoneda and Ayame entered the room.

"What the hell just happened!" asked the confused General.

"An intruder, commander." reported Ohgami. "But I think we took care of her."

"Well, Birdie… I must say you've gathered quit a team." Everybody looked at the direction of the voice and saw the dark woman rising slowly from the ground. She was a little burned, but otherwise ok. She was looking Ayame right into the eyes.

"Is that really you, Kitty-cat?" asked softly the petite woman and tears started falling from her eyes.

"In flesh and blood" smiled the blackhead. "Hi, pappy Yoneda, it's been a while."

"It really has been Kitty." the old man grinned trough his tears.

The Hanagumi dropped their jaws in shock.

"Wait a minute!" screamed Ohgami "You know each other!"

Author's notes:

Kwan-Dao - a Chinese spear weapon; all you Shaman King fans might remember Len's weapon, well it's the same thing.

Tangra - actually it's an ancient Bulgarian god. The god of thunder. But here I use it as a name of a fighting style. Such style doesn't really exist, it's my creation.


	3. An Angel With A Flower's Name

Disclaimer: I don't own Sakura wars. I'm just a big fan. I do however own my own characters and story line, as well as my concept of angels. The story might contain violence, abusive language and sexual scenes. If you are underage you'd better stop here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story, have fun :)

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed it so far, please review, no matter good or bad :)

Chapter 3 An Angel With A Flower's Name

The Hanagumi dropped their jaws in shock.

"Wait a minute!" screamed Ohgami "You know each other!"

"Well yes, mister smarty pants." said the small dark woman with an ironical smirk. "Why do you think I wanted to see her in the first place!"

"Hey you can't talk to me like that! Do you have any idea who I am!" shouted angrily the spiked haired man, trying hard to cover the embarrassment of losing his temper.

She took her cloak from the ground and put it back on.

"As a matter of fact, I do. You're Second Lieutenant Ichiro Ohgami, captain of the Imperial Capital Special Defense Force, also known as the Hanagumi or the Flower Division." she said seriously. Then she looked away and smiled. "Well, you're also the usher of the Imperial Theater where all those beautiful actresses here work and live." She pointed with her open palm at the girls. "Sakura Shinguji, shy on stage, but not on the battlefield. A brilliant swordswoman, worthy of the legendary Arataka. Maria Tachibana, the cool ex-markswoman for the New York mafia. Survived through the brutalities of the Russian revolution. Her weapon of choice – an Enfield Mk1 Star revolver. Kanna Kirishima – the 28th master of the Kirishima school of Karate, the fury fist of Okinawa. Kohran Ri – an amazing mechanic and inventor. Iris Chateaubriand – the daughter of Count Chateaubriand of Champagne. Not to be underestimated due to her fragile looks, cause under them lays an extremely powerful psychic warrior, able of telekinesis and teleportation. And last but not least, the self-proclaimed star – Sumire Kanzaki – the sole heir of the Kanzaki Industries empire, lethal with the naginata, as well as in a leading role."

Ohgami was speechless. After a few moments he regained his cool and asked the question that was on everybody's lips "How do you know all that! It's classified information!"

"That's my job. I'm a spy."

Ayame smiled happily, which made the Hanagumi even more puzzled.

"I demand an explanation!" cried Sumire. "Right here and right now!"

That made the mysterious woman burst in such laughter, she was forced to sit down on one of the couches or risk falling on the floor.

"What is so funny!" asked the young brunet.

"Oh, nothing." replied the dark lady trough tears. "What do you think gives you the right to demand?"

Sumire tried to say something but the words froze in her mouth.

"I can't believe that a friend of vice-commander Fujieda could insult us or our loved ones. How could you speak of my father in that way!" said Sakura softly, holding back her tears.

"First of all, my dear Sakura I didn't mean all those things about you all, I was testing you. And second, I would never insult your father. He was very dear to me. It was him that taught me how to weald a sword. And the Phoenix is a special gift that he made for me, so that I would rise again from the ashes of my past."

A small tear fell from the deep hazel eyes. The black –haired Japanese girl turned to Ayame in question and the petite woman nodded in approval. Everybody stood in silence and confusion. After a few moments, Ohgami spoke up.

"Explain me one thing." he addressed the unknown woman. "The Tsukigumi are the best spy team and Kayama is such a good friend of mine that he tells me everything. How come we weren't warned of your presence?"

"Actually there are two reasons. One – I'm a great spy. I'm seen only if I want to be seen."

"Look who's calling me conceited!" exclaimed Sumire.

"Miss Kanzaki, ask your commanders about my abilities and they will tell you that my self-confidence isn't a lot of hot air. Try to live my life, being hated and not understood because you are different, and then you'll see how vital it is that sometimes you praise yourself." the woman looked the young actress with such seriousness that the brunet almost cried.

"Stop arguing!" said Ohgami. "What is the second reason?"

"He has superior orders not to interfere in my affairs. Isn't that right, coz?"

To everyone's amazement (well, maybe not to Yoneda, Ayame and her friend) a young brown-haired man in a white suite appeared out of nowhere.

"You're absolutely right, coz."

In front of the astonished Flower Division and their leader, the two spies fell into a passionate embrace.

"Zdrasti sladurano." softly said the young man, not hiding his joyful tears.

"Zdravej krasaveco. Mnogo vreme mina…" said the woman crying in his arms.

They broke the hug after a while and the woman looked at Ayame and Yoneda. Seeing the question in their eyes, she said:

"Remember how I always told you that I had some Japanese blood in me?"

Both the commanders nodded and she continued:

"Well long ago a handsome young Japanese man named Teiko Hakamura went to Bulgaria to sell silk. There he met a gorgeous young woman – Roza. They fell in love and Teiko stayed. They build a house in the mountains so that nobody would bother them. Soon Roza gave birth to two beautiful girls – Marta and Mariko, to honor both their origins. But their happiness didn't last long. It took several years but Teiko's master found him and forced him to come back to Japan. Before they parted he promised his wife he would come back as soon as he can. She asked him to take their younger child Mariko with him, so that he won't forget about their love. Unfortunately just before he could buy himself from his master, he fell terribly ill. Shortly after that he died. Mariko found herself alone, not knowing what to do. However, fate smiled upon her – he fell in love with a good and understanding man. He was a sailor. They were very happy. They were blessed with a beautiful baby boy. But Mariko missed her mother and sister. She asked her husband to visit them, he quickly agreed and very soon all three of them were on a ship to Bulgaria. Meanwhile Marta had also married and had a little girl."

She stopped and little tears started falling from her eyes. Kayama gently wiped them out unaware he was crying himself. She took a deep breath and resumed the story:

"I was that little girl. I was three years old when aunt Mariko came to visit us and introduced me to my cousin Kayama, who was then just a baby. Mariko and her husband decided to stay. Kayama and I grew up together. When he was six, they went back to Japan and we promised to return the visit soon."

"But you never did. And I haven't seen you ever since that chilly morning in Varna. It's been twenty years precious, what happened?"

For a good two-three minutes she stood silent. When finally she decided to talk they could see the tears glowing in her eyes.

"Exactly a year after Varna, we finally made the decision to go to Japan. We prepared for the journey pretty quickly. I was so anxious to see you again Kayama that I persuaded my father to leave immediately. He agreed, seeing my excitement and we ventured into a dangerous night trip from the mountains to the sea. I would never forgive myself that I made him agree on that. Half way to Varna we were ambushed by thieves. We didn't have anything of any value to them and they got angry. They tied my father and me to a tree and raped my mother before our eyes. After they got tired of her they killed her. But she wasn't enough. They…" her voice broke. "They raped me as well. My father was furious. I don't know where he found the strength but he broke the ropes and dashed at the thieves. I've never seen him like that before, he was like a madman. He took out two of the three men. The third was standing aside scared, not knowing what to do. When he realized he had a gun, he fired at my dad. He missed. And my father took the chance to find a gun himself. After that both of them fired. Both of the bullets were fatal. Both – to the heart."

At that point she couldn't say no more and collapsed in Kayama's arms. The young man was devastated. He didn't know what to say to comfort his cousin. They stayed crying in each other arms for what seemed forever. Ohgami was the first to break the tense silence.

"I am deeply sorry for your lose. I don't mean to be rude, but you being related to Kayama is the final stroke in this nonsense situation. Care to spread some light, please."

"My identity is a well keep secret and knowing it might put you in great danger. Are you sure you want to risk your team's lives Ayame, pappy Yoneda?"

"Well I think after the fight they put, they deserve the truth." said Ayame.

"I guess you're right." sighed the mysterious warrior. "Very well then… My name is Colonel Lilly Novoska. I was born 29 years ago in the Balkan mountain. I am a member of a special elite international spy team. I met Ayame and Yoneda, as well as your father Sakura, when I was 12. They were on a mission in Bulgaria. Their objective was to investigate a demon appearance in the Rila mountain. On their way they passed trough a small village called Karlovo. A family there had given me shelter. When I first saw Kazuma Shinguji he was searching for a place for him and his comrades to stay for the night. Unfortunately with no luck, since nobody could understand him. Providing my origins I spoke decent Japanese and offered my help. We found two rooms and went to get Ayame and Yoneda."

She paused to catch her breath and to her surprise Ayame continued the story:

"On the next morning we started for Rila. We haven't exited the village when we were stopped by a strange scene. A small group of armed men on horses entered Karlovo. Later Lilly explained us that they were thieves who regularly ransacked the defenseless villagers. Only this time she was there. After her parents' death she learned how to defend herself and even back then she was very good. She fought the thieves and killed them all. That day she unleashed all her hidden anger and discovered the amazing force within her. She has an enormous spiritual energy. When I was ordered to find pilots for the Koubu you were the first person I had in mind, Koneko. But you were nowhere to be found. I searched high and low. It was like you were in another world."

"In a way I was." replied Lilly. "Ever heard of angels?"

"Only rumors." said Ohgami. "It is said they're a small group of elite fighters, but the information concerning them is so inconclusive that everyone thinks there a myth created to scare criminals."

"Well they're more than just fighters. And there is a good reason that nobody knows anything about them. What I am about to say must not leave this room and for your sake you better not talk about it to anyone because I might cost you your lives."

Lilly stood up and went to the window. Her voice changed, it became more firm and serious:

"You couldn't find me, Ayame, because I was dead." everyone looked at the tiny figure, she couldn't see their eyes due to the fact she was with her back to them, but she could fell their shock and disbelief. "We spent so much time together in Rila, you were to me like a second family, you taught me so much, all three of you, that when you had to go back to Teito, I felt like my world was crashing in my feet again. I needed a change so I went to Saint Petersburg. After a long fight I was accepted in the university. There I met a sweet Tatar girl. We were like one soul in two bodies and very soon became best friends. She was studying for a doctor and was aiming to receive a major in psychology. She was a year older than me, so we graduated together. We decided to go to Moscow and open a clinic to help people. Very soon I discovered that she too had a strong spiritual energy. When nothing else could be done, we used our powers to help our patients. It didn't take long for the news of our incredible healing abilities to go around the country. Maria, surely you have heard of us?"

All the eyes in the room were fixed on the tall blond.

"There wasn't a person in Russia who hasn't heard of Moscow's miracle. The two doctors who could even bring people back from the death. I never got the chance to meet you though." the Russian woman confirmed.

"Well people exaggerate. We have never brought anybody back from the death that is not humanly possible. Anyway, we became so popular that some people got jealous. They began to spread rumors that we were not doctors, but witches who served the devil. From cheered saviors, we became outcasts. Nobody would come near us. One night in an act of fear they torched the clinic while we were asleep. When we woke up it was already too late. The whole first floor was on fire. We had no other option, so we grabbed each other's hand and jumped out of our bedroom window. Unfortunately we broke our necks in the fall and both died on the spot."

She made a short pause and turned around only to see an even bigger astonishment in everyone's eyes. She closed her eyes and smiled:

"Don't look at me, as if you have seen a ghost." she took out her knife and cut her wrist. Crimson blood started to fall from her hand on the marble floor. "I am a human, just like all of you. Well, maybe not like you, but still a human. My friend and I were sent back. We were given even greater powers and became angels. It's sort of like a second chance, but not exactly. We woke up lying on the snow, not knowing how much time has passed since that fatal jump. We quickly got out of the country and due to circumstances beyond our control arrived in Spain. There we met two young men. I don't know why but we were drawn to them. The same night we met, we all were visited by Metatron."

"Meta-who!" asked Kanna.

"Metatron – the voice of God." replied Maria.

"I didn't know that you were a religious person, Maria." smiled Lilly. The jade-eyed Russian returned the smile. "Yes, he is God's messenger. He explained us our mission. We weren't brought back for no reason. We were brought back because we all possessed great powers and at this moment in time we are needed here on earth."

"And what moment would that be?" was curious Sumire.

"A moment in time when the forces of evil are gathering strength and the people of the world are divided and focused only on themselves. As you all know demons are a world's problem and the governments of all countries had formed an army to counter their attacks. The Hanagumi is a part of that army. And so are the angels. We are a special secret unit of that army. We have vowed to protect and help, but as our mission requires – not to interfere. Kayama wasn't able to warn you, because all spies around the world are ordered to keep our presence a secret no matter what. That is all that I can tell you."

"A colonel and a spy. You have certainly surpassed my expectations. Kazuma would have been proud of you, Koneko." said Yoneda proudly. Ayame went to her friend and embraced her firmly.

"I'm so glad you're here, I've missed you so much." the older woman whispered in the younger one's ear.

"Miss Lilly-san, I want to ask you something."

"Yes, Sakura, what is it?"

"Well, from your tail it is obvious that you are stronger than all of us."

"Speak for yourself country girl!" said Sumire.

"But she is Sumire." confirmed Ohgami. "Even if she hadn't told us her story, she proved herself in the fight."

"Anyways" continued Sakura. "I wanted to know, why did you give in Iris's energy blast since your energy is probably stronger then hers?"

"Sakura's right." said seriously Ayame. "We came here because our scopes detected an energy field even greater than Satani's. I presume it is you my friend."

Lilly gave off a bitter smile.

"You see my new power has a dark side to it. When I use my spiritual energy at a certain point the attack becomes unstoppable, even for me. You can say that it has a life of it's own. It won't stop till it destroys my opponent. I'd rather get hurt than destroyed someone who deserves the right to live."

Iris smiled at the short woman said softly "Arigato!"

Lilly smiled back "For nothing my sweet."

"It's been a really long day." yawned Ayame. "But before we all go to get a well deserved rest, I have one final question Kitty-cat. Why did you come now, after all this time?"

The hazel-eyed woman smirked.

"Remember the promise I made you before we parted, Birdie?"

"Of course I do! You said that when I needed help you would always be there for me."

"That's right. And I'm here today to honor that promise. Let me think how exactly did you put it… ah, yes - They fight well in battles, their performances have improved significantly, but concerning team spirit they're still far from the team they should be. If that doesn't change, and fast, I fear that we might lose the war… That's where I come in. That is if you want my help. Besides, you're the only family I got and missed you like hell."

"It would be so great if you stayed." said Major Fujieda, her eyes clouded with tears.

"It is settled then." gladly pointed out General Yoneda. "Since we don't have any spare rooms you can stay in the gardener's house in the far end of the theater's park. Kayama'll get your luggage."

"Since I do have a green thumb, I can pose as your gardener. Here's the address of the hotel I'm staying, coz."

"I'll be back in the blink of an eye, coz. We could talk after that, you know, make up for lost times."

"Sure thing, Kayama." said Lilly and her face glittered with joy.

"Now, I think it's time we all went to bed. Ohgami will you show Lilly the gardener's house?" ordered Ayame.

"Of course madam." Answered the Lieutenant.

Author's notes:

Zdrasti sladurano. (Bulgarian) – Hi gorgeous.

Zdravej krasaveco. Mnogo vreme mina. (Bulgarian) – Hello handsome. A long time has passed.

Varna and Karlovo – actual cities in modern day Bulgaria. Varna is a big port, also known as Bulgaria's Black Sea capital. Karlovo is a town in the Balkan mountain.

The Balkan and Rila mountains – actual mountains in Bulgaria.

Koneko (Japanese) – kitten Thank you so much Benji ;)

Tatar – one of the nationalities in Russia

Metatron (I'm not sure about the spelling) – according to the Christian Bible, the voice of God

Special thanks to Benji Himura for his great reviews and advices. Thanks a million, pall. I hope you liked the story so far. Please guys write your opinions about it, no matter good or bad. I will answer to all of you. See ya soon :)


	4. And So It Begins

Disclaimer: I don't own Sakura wars. I'm just a big fan. I do however own my own characters and story line, as well as my concept of angels. The story might contain violence, abusive language and sexual scenes. If you are underage you'd better stop here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story, have fun :)

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed it so far, please review, no matter good or bad :)

Chapter 4 And So It Begins

Lilly and Ohgami took a long stroll through the TeiGeki garden. The sun was almost finishing his daily journey and was melting the sky into a glorious sunset. All the trees in the park shown in red and gold. They finally reached the gardener's house. It was a small, well-preserved traditional Japanese cottage.

"You know, Ayame didn't mean that you're not a good leader. You really are one. It really takes a lot to make a team out of such diverse and strong personalities as the girls from the Flower division. You still have a long way to go, though." said the woman gently looking straight into his jet black eyes.

Ohgami was taken aback by her words. Looking at the ground he tried to find something to say to get out of this sticky situation. Then he glanced at her cut wrist which was still slowly bleeding.

"There is a medical case in the house. Let me get it and I'll take care of that."

She caught his glance and smiled. The spiked haired man disappeared in the house and came back after a few moments carrying a small white box with a red cross on top of it. They both sat down on the porch. Ohgami opened the box and started treating Lilly's wrist. Gently he cleaned the wound and put some bandages on it.

"There, that should do it." he smiled.

The Lieutenant took out a small bar of chocolate from his pocket and gave it to the woman sitting next to him.

"Here, eat this. It will make you feel better and help you regain the blood you lost."

"Domo arigato." thanked Lilly with a smile in her eyes. "Say, Ohgami, will you give me the pleasure of sharing this wonderful sunset with me?"

"The pleasure will be all mine, Colonel." replied the Japanese man.

"Thanks. And no need of the formalities. Call me Lilly."

Ohgami nodded and they both smiled at each other before falling into the amazing view that was the golden blood red sky above them.

In the TeiGeki common room

Ayame and Yoneda headed to the manager's office and the Kazegumi went down to the command center to finish their jobs before hitting the sack.

"Who does she think she is? I can't believe she has the nerve to come here and talk to me like that! Can you believe it, to me! The great Sumire Kanzaki!"

"Oh, pipe down already cactus woman." said Kanna annoyingly. "It wasn't just you, it was all of us, but she had her reasons or at least I think so."

"Well, the fact she had reasons, doesn't make it look right." pointed out Sakura. "Or feel right for that matter. My body is killing me."

"For once I agree with the country girl. I feel sore all over. There aren't reasons in this world good enough for making ME feel like that." exclaimed Sumire.

"What do you think about all of this Kohran?" asked Kanna.

There was no answer. All the girls turned to the purple haired Chinese. She was sitting curled on the floor deep in her thoughts.

"Hey Kohran are you all right?" worried the red head.

A stream of tears started falling behind the glasses of the young woman wetting her green overalls.

"I am so helpless…" she said so low that the others could barely hear her. "All I could do was stand aside and watch. There was nothing I could do. I'm no good. I'm so useless. USELESS!" her scream filled the room.

All the girls stood in shock. Even Sumire's ever self-centered face was showing terror and concern.

"Kohran…" she whispered softly, almost crying.

"Useless!" shouted the young freckle-faced woman again. And with that she ran out of the room, her tears flowing in the air.

"KOHRAN!" cried Sakura and started after her.

"Let her be, Sakura-chan." said Kanna.

"But Kanna I…"

"Let her be, she needs to be alone right now." cut her sentence the tall okinawan.

"Ape-woman is right country girl. There is nothing we can do for her right now. She must fight this on her own. We just have to be there for her." said Sumire, closing her eyes and facing the window to hide her concern.

They all stayed silent for a while. Leaning on the wall, Kanna was looking at Sumire's back in amazement.

_So she has a heart after all… I knew that all that ice was just a front. But why show it now, why for Kohran…_

"What are we going to do about this Lilly woman?" the brown-haired girl finally broke the uncomfortable silence.

"What do you mean Sumire-san?" asked Sakura.

"We are not going to let her get away with what she did to us, are we!"

"You guys, Iris thinks that she really isn't a bad person."

"Nobody is saying she is a bad person, Iris." replied the black haired Japanese arranging her pink kimono. "But the things she said and did wer…"

"But she said that she didn't really mean those things!" the blue-eyed teenager cut her sentence. "Besides she didn't actually hurt anyone of us. Well, maybe just our prides." her eyes were pleading but it seemed like the others weren't even listening to her words. In a final attempt to make her point she fixed her gaze at Maria, hoping she would help her.

The jade-eyed Russian was rubbing her burnt hand and seemed far off in her own mind. She felt Iris's look and turned to the teenager. She saw the plea in the little girl's eyes and gave off a faint smile. She regained her usual emotionless face and said:

"Iris is right, she didn't bring any harm to us but still we don't know anything about her so as far as I'm concerned she can't be fully trusted. I advise you all to stay alert and not to lay your guard down. It's late. We better go rest."

All the girls agreed and everybody headed for their rooms.

In the manager's office

"Can you believe it Ayame, our little Koneko? God, I wish Kazuma were here to see this…"

"He would have been proud, really proud. She has achieved so much. Imagine only 29 and already a Colonel." said the petite woman, her eyes deep in memories.

"I would never have pictured her in the army, though." said the General scratching his chin.

"You are right Ikki but don't forget she was a doctor before becoming an angel. We can safely presume she hadn't much of a choice about the army. Anyway, all this time, nearly fifteen years now, I've been feeling such a big emptiness inside me. I've always regretted the day we had to come back to Japan. She was like my own child to me. She still is… She has always been… I don't have words to express the happiness I feel now that she is here. I feel… I feel safe." Ayame sighed deeply and Yoneda embraced her.

"I can't believe one thing." said the old man. "This really is a small world. Imagine, Lilly and Kayama first cousins. This is almost more unbelievable than she coming back from the dead."

The Major started laughing and soon the General joined in.

"You got that right!" replied the petite woman after a while. "Who would've thought. I have so many questions to ask…"

"Leave them for tomorrow Ayame. She is finally here. We have plenty of time. It's time I gave everybody a little break. I'm thinking maybe a month or so. Next week be the last play before that. The girls will be busy with that so we will have time to see Kitty. But not tonight. This night belongs to Lilly and Kayama. They have a lot to catch up." the old man smiled.

"You're right. Let's leave them alone. Good night commander."

"Oyasumi."

In the gardener's house

When Kayama came back the sun had already set and a full moon had taken its place on the dark velvet blue sky. The young man found his cousin and the captain of the Hanagumi sitting on the porch silently looking at the stars. It was as if they were two stone statues. They didn't speak, move or even breathe. The Japanese smirked evilly.

"Hello lovebirds!" he said sexily from the darkness.

Both Lilly and Ohgami blushed softly. The full moon cast a strong light so it was easy for Kayama to spot that.

"Sorry, caught you two at a bad time." he smiled victoriously.

"Actually coz, your timing is perfect." said Lilly laughing. She was looking Kayama straight into his light brown eyes. The young man understood the message and gulped the next witty sentence.

"Well, it's getting late and I should be catching up on my rounds. It's been really nice sharing nature's beauty with you… Lilly." said Ohgami in an attempt to get them both out of the awkward situation.

"It certainly has been." nodded the black haired woman. "By the way, do you jog Lieutenant?"

"Yeah, I do. And as you said, lose the formalities – call me Ohgami."

"Well then, pick me up from here tomorrow at six o'clock sharp." an evil spark lit the hazel eyes. "See you in the morning… Ohgami."

"Till tomorrow. Good night Kayama."

"Good night pall."

They watched closely till the spiked haired man disappeared from their sight.

"If I didn't know you better precious, I'd say you were flirting with my good buddy Ichiro." smirked the Japanese.

"Don't be silly Kayama." laughed the Bulgarian. "I've got to help the Flower Division become a stronger team, remember? And what better way to start than with their captain?"

"Guess you're right. Here are your bags. You certainly travel light."

"Well, the weather here is warmer than Bulgaria or Russia, much warmer. And as you can see my wardrobe has changed."

"That I can see. Less is more, he coz?" said the young man with a sexy look in his eyes, whistling naughtily.

"Don't get any ideas, hentai! How about we went inside and cook a nice meal like our mothers used to do."

"Splendid idea Lilly!" smiled Kayama.

The two went in the dark house. The woman reached out for the light switch, but when she turned it on the light bowl exploded.

"Oops! I guess I can't escape from that." she sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"Let me put it this way – ever since I became an angel, me and electricity don't get along really good. I seem to absorb it in some way. Frankly I don't know what exactly happens."

"Tell you what we'll do." Kayama snapped his fingers. "I'll go and find some candles, why don't you take your bags to the bedroom, it's on the right. There is a bathroom next to it if you want to freshen up. And you better leave the cooking to me."

"Ok." hesitated Lilly. "Meet you in the kitchen in a few minutes."

After a few minutes the whole house was shining from the light of nearly a hundred candles. The young man was inspecting the fridge when he sensed a presence in the room. He looked up. A beautiful woman was standing in the door frame. She was dressed in light blue loose cotton pants that finished right below her knees and a matching long-sleeved white and blue top that barely hid her belly-button. Her feet were bare and she had loosen her hair, which reached the lower parts of her waist.

"You don't stop amazing me!" exclaimed Kayama. "That looks more like the old you, except your hair was much shorter when you were a kid. Ha ha ha!"

"Stop making fun and compliments of me and tell me if there is something good in this ice-box!" scolded him the woman.

"Well there is enough to make some kjufteta, stuffed peppers and a good salad." answered the brown haired man.

"Great! And I've got the perfect thing to go with them!" she said showing him a dark blue bottle.

"Is it what I think it is?" the young man's eyes tripled their size.

"Yeap." she nodded.

"I haven't had a sip of medovina in 20 years since we last sneaked in the cellar!"

They both smiled remembering the happy days of their youth and started preparing the food.

"That was exquisite!" said Kayama softly rubbing his full belly. "I've been waiting for this so long. Say sladka, you're sure you weren't hitting on Ohgami? You both blushed when I startled you."

"Why do you have to bring it up again, gotin?" asked a slightly merry and redden from the alcohol Lilly. "Don't get me wrong, Ohgami is a nice guy but after the incident when my parents got killed I'm not much into boys. Plus being an angel is not all flowers and roses. This life that has been given to us, we don't fully own it. We are here to help. Unfortunately this is a lonely job. We aren't allowed to have any relationships, let alone intimate ones. You scared us, that's why we blushed. You took us out of a trance. The sight of the sky was so beautiful."

"But you came here." Kayama was puzzled.

"Yes, I came here to help. To help an old friend as well as a team fighting the demons. I'm only lucky that you, Ayame and Yoneda work with this team. I missed you guys so much, you are my family." she started crying.

Kayama when to her and hugged her. He could feel her soft sobs.

"Hush, darling. You're here now. Nothing else matters." the young man comforted her.

"I wanted to see you so badly but I couldn't revel my identity. When Ayame, Yoneda and Kazuma went back to Japan it was you I only thought about. But I had no money to travel and no ship captain would let me work my journey to Japan. So I traveled on foot. When I reached Saint Petersburg I was exhausted and decided to stay. I was admitted at the university and saw in that my chance to acquire the necessary money for the trip. Then I met Nia and we build the clinic. Fate can be so cruel." she smiled. "I had just saved enough for a trip to Japan when they torched the clinic."

"All those years I spend searching for you. I joined the navy for two reasons – because my father was a sailor and to find you. When they offered me a job as a spy, again I accepted because it could help me find you. But I couldn't find anything, not even records of your death. I was on the verge of giving up. When I saw you today in the common room of the TeiGeki I felt alive again." a few tears shown in his eyes. "By the way, how did you know I was there?"

Lilly laughed loudly. "My fellow spy, I didn't expect questions like that from you. I've done my homework. That was all."

They spend the good part of the night laughing, drinking, remembering the past and filling the gaps in the present.

Author's notes:

Oyasumi (Japanese) – Good night

Hentai (Japanese) – pervert

Kjufteta (Bulgarian) – it is traditional Bulgarian meal. Balls made from grinded meat, chopped onion, egg, bread and lots of spices. Their size vary depending on the region where they are prepared. They can be fried or baked.

Stuffed peppers – again a traditional Bulgarian meal. Peppers (usually red) stuffed with a mixture of rice, grinded meat, chopped onions and carrots and spices.

Medovina (Bulgarian) – an ancient Slavonic alcoholic drink made of honey (med in Bulgarian means honey)

Sladka (Bulgarian) – my sweet, sweetie or something in that line

Gotin (Bulgarian) – handsome, dude or something in that line

"I wanted to see you so badly but I couldn't revel my identity. When Ayame, Yoneda and Kazuma went back to Japan it was you I only thought about." Here Lilly is referring to Kayama.

Special thanks to Benji Himura for his great reviews and advices. Thanks a million. I Hope you liked the story so far. This chapter is a little slow, no action and lots of words, but chapters like that are needed sometimes in the course of a story. Please guys write your opinions, no matter good or bad. I will answer all of you. See ya soon :)


	5. A New Friend

Disclaimer: I don't own Sakura wars. I'm just a big fan. I do however own my own characters and story line, as well as my concept of angels. The story might contain violence, abusive language and sexual scenes. If you are underage you'd better stop here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story, have fun :)

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed it so far, please review, no matter good or bad :)

Chapter 5 A New Friend

On the next morning Ohgami was right on time but not prepared for the sight he was about to see. When he finally reached the small Japanese cottage Lilly was stretching for the upcoming jog. He found himself facing her well-tuned butt when she was bending down to tense her leg muscles. He almost fainted. Luckily for him the woman quickly felt his presence and stood up. With the sudden movement her large breasts bounced in the air. That made the young Lieutenant lose his balance and fall with a serious nosebleed.

"I hope the blood is from the fall." chuckled Lilly.

She was wearing a bright yellow low cut track suit bottom, orange snickers and an orange sports bra. Her hair was tied in a ponytail on top of her head. The sunny yellow bandana on her forehead almost covered her eyes. She went to Ohgami and helped him up.

"Here." she untied the handkerchief on her left arm and handed it to him. "You better wipe off the blood before it stains you t-shirt."

"Thanks." smiled the young man. With a quick movement he removed the dust from his dark blue track suit bottom and arranged his white t-shirt. After wiping the blood off his face he tried to give Lilly back her handkerchief.

"Keep it. Just in case." she smiled. "So are you ready?"

"Yes ma'am." replied the spiked haired man.

"Very well then sir." she mocked him. "Do you have any specific running track or we'll just improvise?"

"I usually run in the city park. At this time of day it's very quiet."

"Ok then, lead the way."

Ohgami put the light blue handkerchief in his pocket and they started running. The sun began to rise and its first warm rays softly caressed their faces. The streets were empty, a cool morning breeze was disturbing the autumn air. Soon they entered the park. The paths were covered with dark brown leaves. The trees were like a fairy tail of colors – from dark red, trough pale orange and soft beige to dark yellow and gold, even spots of green. Hundreds of leaves were flowing in the lake like little boats headed for faraway lands.

"So you jog alone Ohgami?" said Lilly breaking the uneasy silence that was upon them since they left the theater.

"Usually yes. Of the girls only Kanna is fond of such exercise. But even she doesn't get up this early in the morning. What about you?"

"Most of the times - yes. I helps me sort out things. I sometimes run with some of my teammates when we want to discuss matters in private."

"And what is the case here?" asked Ohgami playfully.

"A little bit of both. I like the exercise and it's maybe the best way to get to know you. You are a key element of the Hanagumi so I must figure you out to help them become a better team. And this surely is the only way to discuss things in private without everyone putting their noses in our business." explained the hazel eyed woman.

Ohgami remembered of the piles of people every time he opened the door of Yoneda's office after talking with him on an important problem and quickly grasped her point.

"So how do you intend to help me become a good leader, anyway?" asked Ohgami in a pitiful attempt to get out of the situation.

"As I said before, you ARE a good leader. You just have some things to work out, heck who hasn't?"

"You…" said Ohgami hesitantly.

Lilly stopped running and faced the spiked haired man who was softly blushing. Her sweat shown in the sunlight and thus her body emitted a golden glow. Her eyes were infuriated.

_Ichiro, you baka… Don't go there. Don't make me hate you. You'll ruin it all. Don't you dare go there._

"Listen Lieutenant, and listen very well because I'll only say this once." her face was different, darker, filled with anger and rage. A strange aura was around her but not that blue energy aura that the Hanagumi saw yesterday. Ohgami could swear he saw white wings on her back. "I'm not here as a woman. I'm an angel and angels are not supposed to love or have any kind of relationships. I am here to help and for your sake you better stop hitting on me."

_Oh f… great, I can't even curse in my mind. Now, you're really doomed Ichiro. But I'm only a man and she is sooo sexy and different. I can't help myself… _

"You may be a man but you are a captain as well. And a captain must control himself all the time at all costs. If you want to be a good leader, you must remember that well. Are we clear?"

"Yes ma'am!" the last sentence reminded the young man his army days and he unconsciously saluted.

That made Lilly smile and in an instant she was back to her normal self.

"At ease, soldier!" she said laughing. "I'll answer your question by saying that for now I intend to talk but… I have a few tricks up my sleeve so be ready. Let's go we have a long run back."

It took the Japanese a few seconds to comprehend what had just happened and to follow the black haired woman.

_What the hell just happened! Were that wings! Am I losing my mind?… I guess I should do what she says if I don't want to get hurt…_

With a very worried expression Ohgami hesitantly followed his running companion. An evil smirk appeared on Lilly's face.

_I scared him out of his skin. Maybe I've gone too far. But he pushed me. I really have to do something about this boy, too much woman company has done serious damages on his manhood. For crying out loud, he can even curse in his mind! I have to turn him back into a man! Maybe that's the key to the success of the team. Or at least one big part of it._

They both stayed silent all the way to the theater. Ohgami kept his distance, too scared to be turned to cinder, while Lilly was deep in her thoughts, smiling at herself.

When they finally reached the TeiGeki gates she broke the tense silence.

"Hey chin up Ohgami. Sorry about the incident at the park. I didn't mean to scare you." she smiled.

"It's Ok." he smiled back. "By the way, what happened to you back then?"

"That was my angel form. And you were right. Those were wings."

"H-h… how did you know?"

"I can read minds. That's one of the good things about being an angel. Look Ohgami, I want to be your friend and I want to help you. But you have to let me. And regarding me as a woman won't do the trick, ok?"

"Ok." nodded the young man.

They smiled at each other and parted heading in opposite directions. The Japanese was startled by a sudden question from behind.

"What is that bike in the garage?" shouted Lilly. "I meant to ask you before but forgot all about it."

"It's my motorcycle. I got seriously damaged in a battle a year ago. We were all to busy to fix it and soon forgot all about it. It's been lying there ever since. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." she answered. "I can tell you miss it a lot."

The spike haired man's face faded at the thought of his bike. A hidden flame lit in Lilly's eyes. She gave a strange smirk.

"I was a great run. Thanks. See you same time tomorrow." said the dark woman walking to her house.

"Till tomorrow." replied a very confused Ohgami.

Later that day

Lilly was planting some flowers in front of the gardener's house when she sensed someone else's presence. When she turned around, she saw two familiar figures in the distance. Her face glittered with a marvelous smile.

"Hello you two. Coming to inspect the work of you new gardener?" she joked.

"I see being an angel hasn't affected your sense of humor." remarked the old General. "I must say that you are doing a nice job, though. These roses look fantastic."

The dark woman blushed at the compliment.

"Pappy Yoneda you always knew what to say to make a girl feel good." her whole being was smiling. "Can I offer you both a refreshing cup of tea or do you have someone else to inspect?"

Both Ayame and Yoneda laughed heavily. It took them a while to recover.

"Tea sounds great." finally said the petite woman.

Lilly put down her tools and showed the two in the house. She went into the kitchen and hesitantly looked at the hot plates. Remembering yesterdays experience she quickly dismissed the thought of using them to prepare the tea. Instead she filled a big mug with water from the tub, held it with both her hands and concentrated. Very soon the water started boiling heavily. She smiled at her own resourcefulness. Yoneda and Ayame were relaxing on the cushions in the living room when she came in holding a tray with three light blue china cups, a steaming teapot and a plate of sweets. She put it on the small table and served. She opened the ceiling to floor door before she sat down so they could enjoy the beautiful view of the garden.

"The tea is wonderful. But how did you prepare it so fast?" asked Ayame.

"I heated the water with my powers since I have an electricity problem." replied the dark lady.

"I'll have Ohgami fix it right away." said Yoneda.

"I don't think he could…" softly said the black haired woman. "After becoming an angel I seem to absorb all the electricity I get in contact with. Yesterday I blew the lights in here. Do you think it will be a problem if I ate with the others in the theater? I can help with the cooking."

"No problem at all." smiled Ayame. "That way they'll get to know you better. We have breakfast at nine, lunch at one and dinner at eight. And if you want snacks in between, stick with Kanna."

"So she's the girl with the appetite?" asked mockingly Lilly.

They all laughed.

"What do you plan to do with the girls?" asked seriously Yoneda.

"Always to the point, he General?" smirked the hazel eyed woman. "Don't worry I do not intend to harm your daughters, but I will give them some hard time though."

"Am I that transparent?" asked the old man.

Lilly simply smiled with her eyes closed.

"Funny you didn't ask me about Ohgami." she said.

"What about him?" Yoneda gave a confused look.

"He is as vital to the team as any of the girls. And he may be the key to making this team better. We'll see." said the black haired Colonel with a far off look on her face. "He needs to become a man again."

The General and the Major looked her confused trying hard to understand her words.

"I want your permission to spend more time with him and I also need some help so I'll also need him to be at my disposal."

"I don't fully understand you but I trust your judgment Koneko. Consider it done. From this moment on Ohgami is under your command. I'll inform him immediately." seriously said Yoneda. "As for the girls – they have a play due next week, so they won't be available till then. I'm giving all of them a few months vacation after that so you'll have plenty of time."

The young woman nodded understandingly and smiled at the old man. That smoothed him and he returned the gesture.

"Tell me kitty," asked Ayame "how come you've never told us about Kayama being your cousin. Even more – first cousin."

"You never asked me much about my family and at that time the memories were really painful. They still are in a way… Besides, who would've known that one day you would work together." smiled Lilly.

The three spend the afternoon remembering their glorious past together, smiling and laughing at the cherished memories, feeling young again.

Slowly but surely the Hanagumi were getting used to the new presence in the TeiGeki. Still Ohgami and Iris were the only ones besides the commanders who talked with her not counting the usual greetings.

Meanwhile Kohran was deepening her depression. She barely ate, spoke only when spoken to and neglected her inventions and repairs. She could usually be found sitting on a bench in the far end of the park gazing at something invisible in front of her.

She was there again this evening staring at the falling leaves.

"You know feeling miserable about yourself won't help." a strange but soft voice startled her from behind.

The Chinese looked around scared but didn't say a word.

"You aren't useless Kohran." Two gentle hands affectionately embraced the freckle faced girl. She looked up and her brown eyes met a pair of hazel ones. Tears started falling behind her glasses. She couldn't remember how but she found herself silently crying in the angel's chest. Lilly's embrace felt so warm and soothing, the younger woman soon stopped crying. When the dark lady felt the last sobs of the Chinese echo away she gently cupped her chin and moved her face away so that they could see eye to eye.

"You see Kohran, you are a team. That means you are one, no one greater or smaller than the other. That is why you couldn't beat me, because you acted as individuals, not as a whole." the Bulgarian was looking straight into those big brown eyes.

"But I am not worthy…" tried to deny Kohran.

"That is not true. I know Ayame, she wouldn't recruit you if you weren't good enough. She believed in you and there is a reason she did. You are special and unique. You are a brilliant mechanic and inventor. If it wasn't for you, there wouldn't be any Koubus. It was your genius that built them and keeps constantly repairing them. Without you there wouldn't be any Flower Team."

She started caressing lovingly Kohran's hair allowing the girl to comprehend her words.

_Iris was right… She is so nice. Her eyes… they are so friendly and welcoming. I feel so good and warm in her hands… so safe. She IS right – we are a team and I AM part of it! _

The hazel eyed woman began singing. At first very silently but then more and more surely. Kohran couldn't understand the words but they made her secure.

"Thank you Lilly-san… thank you for everything."

"You are welcome my darling." smiled the older woman.

Little by little the freckle faced girl fell asleep in the tender arms of the angel. She continued caressing her until Kohran was far off in the land of dreams.

Back in the theater the Hanagumi and Ohgami were on their way to their rooms when they were stopped by a strange noise coming from the garden.

"What is that heavenly melody?" asked Sakura.

"I think someone is singing." said Ohgami looking at the open glass door leading to the park.

"Those words…" whispered Maria. "They sound so familiar yet they are different. I could have sworn it is Russian but when I listen closely it is clear that it isn't. What could it be?"

Everybody's attention was fixed on the door. In vain – all they could see was the darkness of the night. The mysterious song seemed to be a part of the night itself. Soon a figure started to appear from the blackness of the autumn air. The melody became stronger and it was obvious to everyone that the figure was singing. As it approached they recognized Lilly. She was walking as if lighter than the wind carrying Kohran in her arms.

"What do you th…" screamed Sumire enraged but Kanna's hand on her mouth cut her sentence short. The redhead pointed to the sleeping Chinese.

"Take me to her room." silently ordered the angel.

They obeyed without question. Ohgami led them all to Kohran's room on the second floor. Lilly gently placed the purple haired girl on her bed. Still singing she covered her with the sheets, removed her glasses and placed them on the night drawer. The dark woman softly kissed the Chinese girl before leaving the room. She stopped singing when she found herself in the hall with all the Hanagumi behind her.

"What did you do to Kohran?" asked Sumire angrily.

"Hush, you'll wake her." answered Lilly peacefully. "You better ask her in the morning. I am sure she'll explain better than me."

All the girls stayed speechless while the older lady drifted away. She passed by Sakura and stopped. Her smiling hazel eyes looked straight into the face of the raven haired girl.

"You know your father would be so proud of what you have become." a small tear made its way on the dark face. "I'm not your enemy Sakura. How could I be, when Kazuma was to me like the father that I've lost."

With that the long haired Bulgarian disappears in the night with a jump from the balcony leaving everybody startled.

The next morning Ohgami and Lilly spend their usual run in silence. Neither one of them dare break it, both deep in their thoughts. Finally when they reached the theater the woman turned to the spike haired man:

"When the girls wake up, tell them to change into something comfortable and gather them at the bigger gymnasium on the first underground level."

The Japanese tried to say something but was cut off by the blackhead:

"Don't worry about me Ohgami, I'll be there."

A few hours later in the gymnasium

"What in god's name is this?" shouted Sumire, who appeared to have woken on the wrong side of the bed, when they all entered led by Ohgami in the enormous hall which was now filled with all sorts of climbing walls, hanging ropes, mud pits and other exercise devises.

"Welcome to my hell course." said a voice behind them. They turned and saw Lilly dressed in a pair of lose black pants and a sleeveless tight white top. "This will be your training course for the next few months. I know it looks like nothing compared to the battles that you fought so let me reveal the catch."

They all hold their breath in fear awaiting her next words. She gazed at their confusion victorious.

"Kohran will you and Iris step forward please."

"Yes Lilly-san!" said both girls in unison.

"Ohgami tie them together please." ordered the Bulgarian woman. The man silently put a pair of leather bracelets on Kohran's right and Iris's left wrists. The bracelets were tied together with a medium short metal chain.

"Now you Miss Kirishima and you Miss Tachibana."

Ohgami repeated the exercise with the tall redhead and her blond friend.

"Oh no…" dreadfully whispered Sumire.

"Oh yes." said Lilly. "That leaves you Miss Kanzaki and our dear Sakura. But let me explain what is all this about. You all are great fighters but seem to miss a very important thing, that you also are a team. A seven pieced whole. Seven, because you captain is also a part of this team. I think that only he truly understands the meaning of team spirit. So in order to remind you all that, I've prepared a game for you. It's called trust. For the next few weeks or even months, in depends only on how well you do, you will be bonded together in pairs. You will be forced to rely on and as well take care of your partner."

All the girls tried to protest but were cut off in their tracks but the angel's fierce look.

"Ladies, the course is yours. Begin!" ordered Lilly.

With no other choice the Hanagumi unwillingly charged at the training course. On the benches Ohgami and the hazel eyed woman watch their pitiful attempts.

"Are you sure you made the right pairs?" asked the Japanese. "I imagined you would pair the constantly fighting Sumire and Kanna together."

Lilly gave off a small smirk. "Sumire's real rival is Sakura. She can't stand her. She thinks she's better than her and yet she envies her in a way. On the other hand Sumire is Sakura's source of lack of self-confidence. Besides if I paired Kanna with Miss Kanzaki, she would use her greater physical power to get them out of the course. But Maria and Kanna are almost equal regarding strength so there will be a collision between them. And finally Iris and Kohran – they are powerful but scared and not confident enough. If I had paired them with any of the other girls who have stronger psychic presence their true selves would stay hidden."

"Wow." exclaimed Ohgami. "Now that you put it that way I can't agree more."

The night-haired woman smiled gloriously. They spent the rest of the day commenting on the girls' ridiculous efforts, accidentally laughing at their individualistic acts.

"It's getting late girls so this will be it for today." finally said Lilly. "Just one last thing before we go eat. This will be a real test for your trust. The Lieutenant and I will demonstrate."

She looked at Ohgami telling him to hold his position as she stood about the length of her height away from him with her back to the young man.

"The object here is to place your life in the hands of your partner. You lean back and your partner has to catch you. Ready Ohgami?"

No even waiting for a reply from the young man Lilly leaned back just to fall in the safety of his arms. They trade places for a second demonstration. Without hesitation the Lieutenant falls back and is caught by the Colonel.

"Now you girls. Maria and Kanna will go first." ordered the black haired woman.

The blond leaned to the redhead and it all went well but:

"Kanna, you're touching my breasts!" screamed the Russian. That caused the Okinawan to lose her balance and they both collapsed on the floor.

"Ok. Now it's Sakura and Sumire's turn." chuckled the Bulgarian.

That was even more disastrous because when the raven haired girl leaned back the other brunette didn't even make the effort to catch her.

"Ok, I think I made my point for today and I think everybody is hungry and exhausted. Let's go rest." said Lilly.

After a well deserved meal all the girls were too tired to leave the dinning table and were just resting in their places in silence.

"How much time do you need to get ready for a night walk Ohgami?" the angel broke the idyllic atmosphere.

"Give me an hour." answered the young captain.

"Meet me in an hour at the park gates then."

"What are you going to do with our taichou?" cried Sumire.

"None of your business." replied calmly the older woman.

"Taichou I forbid you to go!" the brown haired girl turned to the Japanese man.

The Bulgarian chuckled loudly. "The Lieutenant is under my command now so don't exceed yourself Miss Kanzaki."

Ohgami nodded in confirmation and Sumire remained speechless.

"See you in an hour taichou." smiled the dark lady as she headed for her house.

After an hour Ohgami was punctual. He was wearing dark blue trousers and a white shirt without a tie and with the first two buttons opened, holding a dark jacket in his hands. When he approached the gates he saw a figure leaning on the wall. It was Lilly. She was dressed in light blue jeans with a big brown leather belt she had a short blue and white stripped sweater on and a dark blue bandana tied over her hair.

"Right on time." she smiled. "Shall we go?"

Ohgami just nodded in answer and they silently entered the city. They had been walking for about 20 minutes when they reached a night bar. Lilly went to the door while the young man was looking puzzled.

"Come on Ohgami it won't bite. We worked very hard this passed week and we deserve a break."

She went in and the spike haired captain hesitantly followed. The woman stopped at the bar and ordered a bottle of sake with two glasses and turned to her confused companion.

"Wanna shoot some pools?"

"S-s-sure." answered faintly the young man.

As they reached an empty pool table in the back of the bar, she poured some sake in both glasses and gave one to Ohgami. They both took a sip silently looking in each others eyes.

An hour and half a bottle later

"Damn Ohgami that was a fucking great shoot!" shouted Lilly.

The young man stood in silence with his mouth wide open.

"Don't look at me like that!" scolded him the Bulgarian. "I had a long freaking day and besides it's a men's night out."

Getting hot because of the alcohol she took off her sweater to reveal a tight bright red sleeveless top with a deep neckline.

"Forgive me but it is pretty damn hard to regard you as a man. You're just too fucking hot!" mocked her Ohgami.

Stunned at first, she quickly regained her cool and loudly laughed.

"What is so funny?" asked the young captain with a slightly mocking expression on his face.

"I drink to the return of the navy man!" the angel smiled at her first small victory and raised her glass.

"That felt pretty good. We should do that more often." answered Ohgami by raising his glass as well.

By midnight they have emptied a couple more bottles of sake, cursed a lot and discussed the physiques of all the Hanagumi and Kazegumi. They left the bar merrily singing with light alcohol blushes on their cheeks. Just before they were about to part the Bulgarian turned to the young man:

"You know the girls will be quite busy with their trust exercise for the next few days. That leaves us some free time. I was thinking we can use it to bring your bike back to life."

The spike haired man's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"I've already ordered the necessary parts. See you tomorrow after lunch in the garage. Good night." she turned back and walked to the gardener's house.

Ohgami followed her with his eyes till she disappeared in the darkness.

"Arigato!" he said softly with a glorious smile on his face and started for his room.

Author's notes:

Maria finds the words of the song familiar because it is in Bulgarian. Bulgarian and Russian are pretty close, the both come from the same language family – the Slavonic languages and they share the same alphabet – the Cyrillic. Many words in both languages sound alike and mean the same thing.

Don't take Lilly for a rough tomboy after the incident in the bar. She only does that to help Ohgami. It doesn't mean she swears like a sailor all the time.

I want to thank everyone who has taken their time to read the story. Please don't be shy and say what you think about it. I'll answer each and every one of you. Special thanks to Benji Himura for his great reviews, constant support and advices. Thanks a million. You're rubbing in on me pall, this chapter is way longer than the last one. :)

Hope you like the story's development. See ya soon :)


	6. Open Your Heart

Disclaimer: I don't own Sakura wars. I'm just a big fan. I do however own my own characters and story line, as well as my concept of angels. The story might contain violence, abusive language and sexual scenes. If you are underage you'd better stop here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story, have fun :)

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed it so far, please review, no matter good or bad 

Chapter 6 Open Your Heart

A couple of months have passed and thankfully without any enemy appearances. It seems that Lilly has finally broken the ice barrier between her and the Hanagumi.

Autumn is slowly giving way to the white winter. All the trees outside are bare, like warriors stripped of their armor and weapons. The soft and tender breeze is replaced by a chilly wind that pierces through your whole being if you dared to go outside. Every other day nature is crying for her lost sunny summer afternoons.

The faint sunlight is playing on the windows of the TeiGeki. In one of the rooms the cold rays are swaying the small pieces of dust into a brilliant dance making the two women there smile. Dressed in a blue kimono with yellow floral patterns, Ayame is sitting on the floor in a sea of colorful cushions. Lilly's head is softly resting on the older woman's lap. The Major is gently passing her fingers trough the night black hair of her friend.

"I can't believe you did it." the petite woman finally broke the idyllic silence. "The girls are finally acting like a team… like the team I've always wanted them to be. I am so glad you're here."

The night haired woman smiled tenderly with her eyes closed.

"Me too. You can't imagine just how much…" Lilly sighed softly, caressing Ayame's hand.

The brown haired woman began quietly to sing a lullaby. Her friend's thoughts drift away to a moment few days ago.

She was cleaning the leaves in the park, preparing the plants for their winter slumber, when she heard a voice ringing in the distance. She looked back and quickly recognized the silhouette clad in a pink Kimono:

"Hello, Sakura-kun." warmly greeted the Bulgarian.

"Good day, Lilly-sama." smiled the raven haired girl.

"Please, just call me Lilly." the woman returned the smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Can I talk with you?" shyly asked Sakura.

"Of course!" friendly replied the hazel eyed woman. "Why don't we come inside for a warm cup of tea?"

Sakura nodded and smiled. After a few minutes they were inside the gardener's house, in the living room eagerly sipping the hot tea.

"I… I wanted to ask you about my father…" faintly said Sakura with her eyes fixed on the floor.

Colonel Novoska went to the young Japanese girl and wrapped her with loving arms around her.

"Sakura-kun, your father was and deep in our hearts still is an amazing man. He helped me regain my will to live, he taught me to believe in myself, to be proud I am different and not to let people get me down. He showed me how to defend myself properly and the way of Bushido, though sometimes I find it hard to follow…" she smiled at the last comment. "When we parted I was devastated because for that brief time we were together he, Ayame and Yoneda brought me back to the land of the living, replacing in a way my lost family. He gave me the Phoenix and made me vow to rise from the ashes of my past and never look back. To this day I have never broken this vow… But Sakura I want you to know that the time we were together, he never stopped missing and loving you and your mother. Each night we stood around the fire alone, he would tell me about you, how proud and honored he was to have you."

Silent tears started falling from all four eyes in the room.

"Thank you… thank you so much, Lilly-san." whispered Sakura, hugging tightly the older woman.

At first taken aback by that reaction, Lilly soon responded to the brown eyed girl's affection with a soft kiss on the forehead. After a few minutes the Bulgarian broke the silence:

"I want to give you something. Please wait a minute."

Then she disappeared in her bedroom. She came back shortly, holding something very close to her heart.

"This was taken just a day before they had to leave. I want you to have it." said the dark woman and handed the young actress an old frayed black and white photograph.

With a questioning look, Sakura took the picture and tears started falling from her big brown eyes when she saw what was on it. Three faces were smiling to her. She recognized them at once no matter the years that have passed since it was taken – her father, Major Fujieda and between them a young night haired girl.

"Domo arigato gozaimasu…" faintly replied the young Japanese, joyful rivers wetting her pale cheeks.

Lilly sat down next to her and with her soft hand wiped out the tears. She embraced her firmly and caressed her long black hair.

"I also want you to have something from me." said Sakura breaking free from the woman's grip. "I made this for my father while he was in battle. He never returned so I couldn't give it to him."

She put in Lilly's hand something that resembled a bracelet made of braded pieces of brown leather. A silver ornament was tied in one of the ends – it was a dragon. The hazel eyed woman stood speechless.

"Sakura… I cannot accept this." she tried to give it back.

"Please Lilly, I'd be honored if you had this and I am sure that that would be my father's will." smiled the raven haired girl holding the Bulgarian's hands.

The Colonel smiled back, placing the hand that held the bracelet close to her heart. Then she hugged the young Japanese girl, kissed her on the forehead and whispered in her ear:

"I will always cherish this."

An abrupt silence brought Lilly back in the present. Ayame had finished the song. The night haired woman touched the leather bracelet on her left wrist, playing with the dragon ornament attached to it. Her heart was smiling. Ayame noticed that and also smiled inwardly. She felt good and warm and hugged Lilly tighter. The first second the angel was taken aback but quickly responded to her friend's affection.

"You seem to get along pretty well with the girls Koneko." said the petite woman after a while. "Especially with Sakura."

"She is Kazuma's daughter Kotori." smiled the night haired woman facing her friend. "She is so much like her father. Every time I see her, I see him. In my heart he will always be like a father to me, so in a way Sakura is like a sister. You, he and pappy Yoneda gave me faith and hope when I had none, I'll never forget that…"

They both smiled at each other, their eyes clearly showed that their souls weren't here but somewhere in Rila 15 years ago.

"But it's not only Sakura." said an excited Ayame after a while. "It's all the girls. No matter if it is playing with Iris, spending time in the lab with Kohran or sparing with Kanna. They all enjoy being with you, share with you. You're their best friend even after the hell that you put them trough. Even Sumire! I saw you yesterday in the library commenting on "War and Peace" – Sumire never argues like that, accepting the others' point of view, neglecting her own. And what happened after that was even more amazing. She, you and Sakura making New Year decorations – she actually helped Sakura instead of yelling at her."

Lilly faintly smiled. "What wonders can a little trust create, heh Kotori."

"Yes… that was an extraordinary exercise. I wished I have thought of it." sighed Ayame.

The Bulgarian woman laughed softly.

"What is so funny Koneko?" asked Ayame in confusion.

"The irony of it all is that you and Kazuma taught me the importance of trust."

"Well, I am glad you're here to remind me that." smiled the Major. "And don't worry about Maria. She just needs some more time to sort things out. It was the same when Ohgami joined the team."

"After all this time you still can read my mind as an open book." chuckled Lilly.

"That's because after all these years our friendship is still as strong as it was when we first met in Karvlovo." replied Ayame.

Their conversation was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door.

"I was sure I'll find you two in here." said happily Kayama entering the room. "Look who's back."

The young man was followed by a brown haired woman who appeared to be at Lilly's age. She was dressed in a military uniform.

"Kaede!" cried Ayame running to the woman. "You're finally back!"

"It feels good to be home." said Kaede wrapping her hands around the older woman's shoulders.

"I want you to meet someone." said the petite woman pointing at the angel. "This is Lilly Novoska. She is an old friend of mine. Lilly, this is my younger sister Kaede."

"I am very pleased to finally meet you Kaede." bowed the Bulgarian. "I've heard so much about you."

"So you're Koneko." smiled Ayame's sister. "You're more beautiful than I imagined. The pleasure is all mine. I really would like to stay and talk but I have to report at General Yoneda's office immediately. I hope to see you later."

"Well we better leave you Kotori. I'm sure pappy Yoneda will call you right after Kaede finishes her report." said Lilly.

Major Fujieda nodded, the smile still on her face.

An hour later in the kitchen

Lilly with a big cooking apron over her jeans and dark blue long sleeved tight shirt is chopping vegetables on the table while Kayama is behind the stove.

"Mmmm… it smells delicious, coz!" said the angel sniffing the air.

"Glad to hear that." smiled the young man. "I love it when it's our turn to cook. It sure brings back good memories."

Lilly nodded remembering of the blissful days in the Balkan mountain twenty years ago.

"Say sladka… I need an advice." hesitantly said Kayama with his back to his cousin.

"Anytime coz." smiled Lilly. "What's eating you?"

"Well… It's kind of complicated… I don't really know how to start… well…" mumbled the Japanese man.

"Just say what's on your mind Kayama." firmly said the night haired woman.

"Well… how do you impress a girl?" the brown eyed man's face was all red.

"You mean how do you impress Kaede, right?" asked Lilly with an evil smirk on her lips.

"What… how did you…" cried the young man turning to his cousin in surprise.

"Oh come on coz, it was obvious. The way you looked at her, how you didn't want her to leave, the quick glances you stole, how your hand longed to touch hers… need I go on?"

"And you understood all that in five minutes!"

Lilly gave out a brilliant smile instead of an answer. Kayama loosened his shoulders admitting defeat.

"Ok, so you got me… Now tell me, what can I do to impress her?"

"You really care a lot about her, don't you? It isn't like you to act like that."

Kayama remained silent but his eyes said it all. Lilly smiled feeling so warm inside and said:

"Have you tried asking her out, making her little gifts, offering her flowers, talking to her?"

"Well… I thought my charm and sexy smile will do the trick." hopelessly answered the brown haired man.

The Bulgarian woman walked to her cousin and tapped him affectionately on the shoulder. "Well, Kayama I think you have a lot to learn about women."

They both laughed with all their hearts and continued preparing dinner.

Later the same day, after dinner

Lilly was sitting in a rocking chair on the porch of her house, wrapped in a warm blanket, enjoying the late autumn sky when she sensed a strong presence. Like a cat she leaped into the blackness of the night. Depending solely on her instincts she moved swiftly around the trees. In a flash the short woman jumped over a shadow wandering in the park. She grabbed the intruder by the collar pinning him on an oak nearby. Quicker than a heartbeat she drew her knife, letting the unwanted visitor fell the coldness of its blade next to his throat. Just then the moon came out of a cloud a lit the TeiGeki garden. Lilly loosened the grip on her knife surprised to find out that the person she was holding was Maria.

"What are you doing out this late Miss Tachibana?" she asked the blond.

"I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk to clear my head." harshly replied the Russian.

"It's cold out here. Why don't you come to my place, you can talk to me and I'll do my best to help you sort out your problems." friendly offered the angel.

"I suppose I don't have another option right now." said the jade eyed woman trough her teeth.

Maria followed Lilly to the small cottage on the far end of the park. They entered the house and found themselves in the candle lit living room. The dark haired woman gestured to the blond actress to sit down and disappeared in the kitchen. She came back with two small glasses and a bottle with a clear liquid.

"I was saving this for New Year but I guess this is a special occasion." the Colonel smiled while filling both the glasses.

She put the bottle on the table and Maria saw the etiquette – Stolichnaya vodka reserved, one of the finest Matushka Rus could offer.

"Nazdarovie!" said Lilly raising her glass.

"Nazdarovie." replied Maria.

They drank the tongue biting liquid in one gulp and the Bulgarian refilled the glasses.

"So Maria, tell me what keeps you out of bed, I doubt it is the beautiful stars."

Maria gulped the second glass of vodka with a firm expression on her face. A sense of warmness wrapped her body and she took off her blazer. She poured herself a third glass and drained it immediately.

"You." she said feeling a sudden courage.

Lilly was shocked. She drank her glass in attempt to regain her cool. She had expected this sort of answer from Maria but not the tone of her voice. It was so affectionate, so warm, even loving.

"I am so frustrated." continued the blond. "On one hand I am so mad at you for what you've done, I'm close to hating you at some points. But on the other hand I know that you were right and I appreciate the things you've done. I have great respect for you as a leader and as a person."

The jade eyed Russian gulped another glass. The night haired woman was petrified. She drank two glasses of vodka one after another but that didn't make her feel more at ease. She tried to open her mouth and say something but the words froze in the throat. All she could do was refilling the glasses because apparently both of them needed a drink. The air was tick with tension. You could almost cut it with a knife. Finally Maria dared to speak out:

"When we are in a room together I feel so good about myself and at the same time I feel like I'm not good enough. I don't know why I feel this way… All my life I was sure about everything and now…" her jade eyes were fixed somewhere in the distance of the cold autumn night, avoiding the deep hazel pools of the woman sitting opposite her.

For a good minute or two they were both sitting in an uncomfortable silence. The only sound heard was the sipping of vodka in the glasses and down their throats. Very soon a great deal of the contents of the bottle was gone. All that was left of it were the faint pink blushes on the cheeks of the two warriors.

Maria looked very gloomy. She has cuddled in a corner of the room, right next to the floor to ceiling window. When Lilly looked at her, she felt concerned for the young Russian. Not knowing how she ended there, she sat next to the blond actress. She wrapped her hands around Maria's shoulders, pressing her head to her bosom, gently caressing the golden hair. For the first time all night they felt at ease. Maybe because of the vodka or because of the other woman's warmth, Maria suddenly found great courage inside of her. She raised her head and locked her pale lips around the crimson lips of the angel. Lilly's eyes enlarged by the shock taking her out of her thoughts. Soon she overcame her astonishment and to her own surprise not only responded but deepened the kiss. Encouraged by the received reaction, Maria slid her hand beneath the Bulgarian's dark blue sweater. She felt her soft skin, wandered around it for a while and her fingers soon found their target – the soft fabric of the older woman's bra. She started tenderly caressing her big breasts. Lilly didn't rest in debt – her hands slowly found their way to Maria's hips and thighs. In a couple of minutes they were lying naked in front of the fireplace locked in a passionate kiss, their hands everywhere. The blond Russian moved her lips to the swan like neck of the angel, while the hazel eyed Colonel buried her hand deep between the younger woman's legs. The room was filled with both their pleasureful moans. The golden red flames were joyfully playing on their fused bodies.

That's how the first morning light met them. Wrapped in a tender embrace, Lilly's head deep in Maria's chest, her long night black hair covering the upper part of their bodies. Strangely enough the angel was the first to wake. She covered her last night's lover with a blanket and went to the bedroom to get some fresh clothes for both of them. Half an hour later Maria was taken out from her sleep by a familiar sent. She stood up and saw a long T-shirt and a pair of panties next to her head. She put them on and followed the pleasant aroma. It led her to the kitchen and what she saw in there painted a glorious smile on her face. Over an improvised fire Lilly was making blini.

"Dobroe utra." said the angel sensing her presence.

"Dobroe utra." replied Maria still smiling. "I haven't had blinchiki since I left Russia."

"Good, then you'll enjoy this. I've made some Russian tea as well."

Each of them took a tray and carried it to the living room. They sat around the table, Maria poured both of them a cup of steaming tea while Lilly served the blini. They enjoyed their breakfast in silence.

"Lilly…about last night" started the blond.

"Don't worry Maria." cut her sentence the Bulgarian. "You do not have to apologies. It was wonderful. I hope it helped you sort your feelings." she said staring in the jade eyes with a comforting look.

"It did." nodded the Russian markswoman. "It was an incredible experience and I thank you for it. It made my love for you even greater but this is a different kind of love. The love of a friend, of a sister. I can't tell how but I know we don't belong with each other that way."

Lilly simply smiled, happy with Maria's revelation.

"Druzya." said the Russian, her jade pools fixed on the hazel ones across the table.

"Na vsegda." replied the Bulgarian.

Teito 1928, New Year's Eve

The TeiGeki is full of excitement. Everybody is in the common room busy with preparations. Well maybe not everybody. Loud noises are heard from the garage. Even now Ohgami and Lilly are busy working on the motorcycle. It has taken a while but it looks in pretty good shape.

"Well Ohgami, I think we're finally done." said the short Bulgarian from under the bike.

"We are." replied the spike haired man with a wide smile on his face. "Domo arigato!" he helped her up and handed her a towel.

"Don't thank me. We did it together. What do you say we take it for a spin?" she smirked evilly.

"What, right now!" exclaimed the young captain.

"That's what I meant. What's wrong with now?"

"It's New Year's Eve, we should help the others…" hesitated the Japanese man.

"Come on Ohgami, I know you want to. They'll manage without us. Besides we won't be long." the angel insisted.

It didn't take long for Ohgami to agree and in a flash they were riding on the open road. Quickly they ran trough the empty streets of Teito. As they reached the outskirts Lilly, who was driving, left all speed limits behind in the celebrating city. The cold wind that announced the upcoming winter bit their faces, painting their cheeks scarlet. Without any warning the Bulgarian softly stopped.

"Is there something wrong? Why did we stop?" asked a concerned Ohgami.

"Look up." said the angel, turning her eyes to the evening sky.

The young captain turned his jet black eyes in the same direction and just then small snowflakes started dripping heavily from the grayish sky. Winter has finally come. They stood like that for a while enjoying nature's craftsmanship. Then they switched places so that Ohgami could bring them back to the sleeping city that was slowly being covered by fluffy snow.

Teito 1929, in the beginning of April

Nature has awakened from her deep winter slumber. She has put away the heavy white blanket to revel her full splendor. All the trees were in bloom, the wind gently caressed their mighty crowns taking away with him handfuls of white, pink, pale purple petals. The weak sun softly shown upon the thousands of flowers bathing in the green grass, wet with morning dew.

Under the shade of a big oak tree, Lilly was resting enjoying the solitude of the early hour.

"How about some company?" said a familiar voice from behind.

Lilly smiled faintly without even moving, her back to the person approaching. Ayame sat on the blanket beside her, peering in the wonderful view.

"What's wrong Koneko?" asked softly the brunet.

"Everything's ok, Kotori. Why are you up so early?" tried to change the subject the night haired woman avoiding her friend's eyes.

"It's seven o'clock. I have a meeting with commander Yoneda after half an hour. I thought you might be here. You can't lie to me you know. Now tell me what's on your mind?" said more firmly Ayame, almost like an order.

"I told you Kotori, nothing." irritably answered Lilly. "I'm fine."

"You know you can deceive the others with that happy mask of yours but you can't fool me. Now quit joking around and tell me what's bothering you!" furious Ayame raised the tone of her voice a bit. "I am your friend Koneko, I can help you." she added with love.

Lilly turned to the brown eyed woman with a bitter smile and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you for being there Kotori…" soft tears began falling on Ayame's military uniform. "I'm just confused…"

"What can I do to help you?" asked tenderly the older woman caressing the night black hair.

"Just knowing that you're there for me is plenty." replied the Bulgarian with a smile.

"Sure you don't want to talk about this?" asked Ayame with concern.

"Yes. I think I'll have to figure that one out on my own. I'm just torn between being an angel and a normal human." replied the hazel eyed woman wiping off her tears.

"Follow your heart. And remember your own words – "The best way out of difficulty is trough it!" said the petite woman while standing up. "I must go now. Will you be all right my friend?"

"Don't worry about me. With a friend like you to guide me, I'll find my way out." answered the angel with gratitude in her eyes.

Ayame gave her friend a reassuring smile and headed for the theater.

Later that day

In his room Ohgami was preparing for his night patrols, deep in his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulders. He jumped back in surprise and fell down on the floor.

"You should see the look on your face pal. It's priceless. Pure terror!" said a voice laughing.

"Kayama! You scared me out of my breath! When are you going to stop sneaking on people like that!" screamed frustrated the young captain.

"Well last time I sneaked on Lilly she did beat me up pretty good but it was nothing compared to the scared look on her face." answered the brown haired man trough his laughs. "Anyway… tell me my friend, why the sad face?" asked with concern the Tsukigumi leader.

"I'm not sure how to say this Kayama…" answered hesitantly Ohgami. "I think I'm in love…"

Kayama's eyes glitter with joy at his friend's last words.

"Ichiro this is great news. Love makes the world go round. Now you just have to find a way to sweep the lucky girl off her feet and you'll find yourself on happy lane." smiled the young man dressed in white while helping his friend up.

"That's the hard part." said Ohgami collapsing on the bed. "There isn't a thing in this world that would make her fall for me. It's so hopeless."

"Cheer up my friend, there must be something you can do. I'll be glad to help you." smiled Kayama, holding Ohgami by the shoulder.

"Thanks for being there for me my friend but even you can't help me out of this one."

"Come on. It can't be that bad." exclaimed Kayama.

Ohgami sighed deeply.

"Ichiro, tell me who the girl is and I'll figure what to do."

"I'm not sure if I want to tell you…" said hesitantly the spiked haired man.

Kayama looked at his friend with a mixture of surprise, anger and compassion. Finally the young Lieutenant gave in.

"I'm in love with… with Lilly…" said Ohgami looking away.

"WHAT!" cried the brown haired man.

A tense silence filled the room. After a few minutes Kayama spoke up, quietly but firmly:

"Here I must say something like 'Who do you think you are?', 'She's way out of your league.' or 'Stay away from my cousin.' but I know you, my friend and you are worthy of my precious Lilly. I see your point though. Her vow of no interference meant she is not allowed to commit to anyone but she is here and all the Hanagumi are her friends. To me that is a commitment. And a strong one." he paused and faced Ohgami. "I have one piece of advice for you my friend – talk to her. Otherwise you risk losing your sanity, consumed by thoughts about her." he said with a smile tapping his friend's shoulder.

Ohgami's face was frozen in shock. "Thank you my friend." he said after a while.

"Anytime. But know that if you hurt her in any way, I'll find you and beat the hell out of you." threatened Kayama before disappearing in the night.

Ohgami smiled and went on his night patrol. After it was done he decided to go outside for a walk and find a way to turn his determination to speak with Lilly into the proper words. To his astonishment when he entered the park he realized he was not alone.

Author's notes:

Domo arigato gozaimasu (Japanese) - Thank you very, very much

Kotori (Japanese) – small bird; singing bird

Stolichnaya vodka (Russian) – actual Russian vodka, a very good one I must say. Stolichnaya means "of the capital".

Matushka Rus (Russian) – an affectionate name used by the Russian and other Slavonic people to call Russia, especially during the Russian empire and the Soviet Union. It means Mother Russia.

Nazdarovie (Russian) - Cheers

Blini (Russian) – a type of Russian pancakes. They're very large and very thin.

Blinchiki (Russian) – a diminutive way of calling blini

Dobroe utra (Russian) – Good morning

Druzya (Russian) - Friends

Na vsegda (Russian) – forever

I want to thank everyone who has taken their time to read the story. Please don't be shy and say what you think about it. I'll answer each and every one of you. Special thanks to my good friend Benji Himura for his great reviews, constant support and advices. Thanks a million. Thanks to Shirogami for his review. And I would like to send a special thanks to Kai for ALL his warm reviews and praises.

Hope you like the story development. See ya soon 


	7. Tango In The Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Sakura wars. I'm just a big fan. I do however own my own characters and story line, as well as my concept of angels. The story might contain violence, abusive language and sexual scenes. If you are underage you'd better stop here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story, have fun :)

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed it so far, please review, no matter good or bad :)

Chapter 7 Tango In The Night

The dark warm night had already wrapped the TeiGeki when Ohgami went out for a walk. The air was filled with the tick sent of night flowers. Nothing, not even a cool breeze disturbed the moonlit park. The young Lieutenant slowly followed the strong presence he felt, hearing just a faint noise. He soon found himself in the heart of the park. In a clearing surrounded by tall Sakura trees a small figure was wielding a katana. The spike haired man approached and after taking cover behind one of the trees looked closer at the silhouette. There in the middle of the little meadow was the object of his love. Clad in a black sports bra and low cut tight shorts that barely covered her private parts, deep in thoughts Lilly was mercilessly cutting the air. Her body was covered with a thin layer of sweat. The faint light cast by the full moon reflected in her being, creating a silver aura around her. Her long night black hair was tied in a bun on the top of her head, exposing her swan like neck. Her naked feet barely touched the ground beneath.

_God… She's beautiful, so beautiful… She's like magic… But why is her face so sad, so tortured…_

Ohgami's own face showed great concern at these last thoughts. The Phoenix passed slowly before Lilly's closed eyes. Suddenly the blade gained a tinge blue aura. The Bulgarian sharply opened her eyes.

"Who is there? Show yourself!" she cried.

There was no reply. Only the soft wind that appeared from nowhere, filling the air with Sakura petals.

"Show yourself!" she cried again, her voice full of rage.

Once more she was answered by silence. Lilly was becoming more and more frustrated. She knew somebody was hiding in the darkness. It wasn't just the sword, she sensed the presence.

"This is your last chance! Come out!" anger was dripping from her words.

Yet again – no answer. She was slowly getting mad. The last thing she needed right now was an intruder. She closed her eyes in concentration and a yellow-bluish aura surrounded her. A set of snowy white angelic wings appeared on her back. There was a strong silver halo around her head. The night haired woman was standing in mid air, a meter above the ground with her katana, which was now glowing in bright white, in her right hand.

Ohgami stood speechless behind the tree. All this time he was too embarrassed to come out and too scared to run away. But soon the captain in him spoke up and he slowly but surely stepped forward so that further misunderstandings could be avoided.

"Ohgami?..." asked Lilly, softly landing on the ground at the sight of the spike haired man approaching. "What are you doing here!"

"Well… I couldn't sleep and went for a walk to clear my head…" awkwardly replied the Japanese man.

"What is it with you people and night walks? Can you just stare at the moon from your room window?" she said annoyed.

"I… I am really sorry to have bothered you. Please excuse me." muttered the young captain while turning back and slowly walking away.

Facing his back the Bulgarian quickly realized the error of her comment and regretted having ever said it. She took her normal form and shouted:

"Ohgami wait! I didn't mean that. I am the one who should be apologizing. I'm just having a rough time and I guess that I accidentally took it out on you. Gomen nasai."

In the darkness of the night a radiant smile showed up on the young man's grim face. Suppressing his joy, he turned around to face the angel, whose eyes were full of guilt and confusion.

"Don't worry Lilly." he smiled soothingly. "My guess is that you're here that late to clear your mind too, am I right?"

The Bulgarian woman nodded.

"So let's help each other."

"What do you have in mind?" she asked not understanding.

"A duel." he answered with a smirk.

"A duel?" she repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. A sparring duel… but with real katanas. Are you up for it or are you afraid." he asked teasingly.

"Afraid!" the hazel eyed woman mocked him. "On the contrary. I'm thrilled. It is you who should be afraid, Lieutenant. You're on!"

There were evil smirks on both their lips and a strange fire lit their eyes. The air was still now, no trace of the cool breeze that was there before. The full moon cast its light on the clearing, you could see the determination in both Lilly's and Ohgami's faces. She took an attack position while he drew his twin blades. For a couple of minutes they stood in silence, neither dared to make to first move. A cloud hid the moon. The sudden lack of light distracted Ohgami for a second, time enough for the angel to make her move. Without a sound, swift as a cat she attacked him head on. But the young captain countered it, catching the Phoenix between his crossed katanas.

"A sneak attack." he chuckled. "That's not very nice, you know."

"Don't forget I'm a spy, Lieutenant. Being sneaky is part of the job description." the Bulgarian replied laughingly.

Ohgami pushed her back a little and quickly gaining ground delivered blow after blow on his opponent. Sparks flew in the air with each touch of the three swords. Lilly repulsed all his attacks, the smile never leaving her face. The night haired woman jumped back and then with an agile leap landed behind the Japanese. Her feet had not yet touched the grass when she lashed at the Hanagumi captain. Fast as the wind Ohgami turned around to meet her blade. Their swords clenched.

"Fast, but not fast enough Colonel." gasped the spike haired man, giving out a teasing smile.

"Now if I beat you at the very beginning, I'll spoil all the fun, wouldn't I?" said the angel with a devilish spark in her eyes.

They both took a step back, glaring at each other. The soft spring wind came back and caressed their sweaty faces. The air was tick with tension. They stood frozen in their tracks. The only sounds heard were their heavy breaths and the tender song of the crickets.

"Don't be so sure you'll come out as winner, Lilly. I've come a long way since we met." broke the silence the black eyed man.

"And indeed you have." agreed the Bulgarian. "Yet still, you're no match for me."

She gave out a war cry and fiercely dashed at him. Ohgami was taken aback by the flair of her attack.

_Even when she's angry, she is so magnificent… But why is she fighting like that… Who is she fighting?... Herself? I can feel that her whole being is in pain… Why?..._

The faint draft of her blade missing near his cheek took the young captain out of his trance. Just like in a dream his body moved back to avoid her next attack. That didn't discourage the hazel eyed woman. Just the opposite. With even more fury she aimed a blow at the spike haired man's shoulder. And this time the Bulgarian warrior didn't miss. Crimson blood began to soak into Ohgami's white shirt, right above his left shoulder. He cried in pain, dropping the katana he was holding in his left hand. It was only at this point that Lilly realized what she was doing. The sight of the young man bleeding in front of her took off the blindfold of rage that was before her eyes.

"Ohgami!" she screamed running to him with concern.

"Don't worry. I'll be all right. It's just a superficial cut, nothing serious." assured her the spike haired man while assuming a fighting position. "Now… I believe we are in the middle of a duel."

And without letting her time to think, he dashed at her with his remaining sword above his head. At the very last moment Lilly raised the Phoenix in front of her face to counter Ohgami's attack. Quickly she regained her composure and moved back so she could charge. When he countered her upper slash, she tried an onset from below. Again without success. The night haired woman delivered blow after blow, pushing Ohgami back. Just a meter away from a tree, the young captain turned swiftly, finding himself right behind the angel. He wrapped his left arm around her tense body and pulled her closer. He could feel the quickened pulses of her heart pumping on him. His lungs got chocked by her sweat heavy perfume.

"I'm not your enemy Lilly…Neither are you." he softly whispered in her ear. "Who are you fighting? Let me help you…"

His words took her aback. Hints of tears started clouding her hazel eyes. For a few moments all she could do was stay in his embrace. She closed her eyes to drive away the tears and broke free of the spike haired man's arms. She took a few steps back and gazed into the jet black eyes of the Hanagumi captain.

"Ichiro… Never in my life has anyone understood me better than you did just now. Not even Ayame or my closest friend Nia." said softly, even lovingly the angel with a smile on her lips and a confused look in her eyes. "You saw trough me like trough a glass wall, sensed my trouble when I buried my fears so deep that even my friends couldn't see them."

Ohgami's heart skipped a beat. He didn't believe his ears. Did she just say that he understood her better than the ones closer to her. No… that's not possible. Could he have imagined it all? He looked at the woman opposite him. Sweat was flowing all over her fit body. Her skin, now much more pale than when she first arrived, was like ivory basking in the moonlight. She was standing over there almost like a statue still with that perplexed expression and comforting smile. No, it wasn't a dream. It was real. The young captain's soul glittered with the joy he felt. He could sense his cheeks burning. Sure that a blush was close, he raised his katana ready to attack.

"As much as I would like to sit and talk, we have a duel to finish Colonel. So let's cut the chit-chat and get on with it. Or are you too scared to continue?" he said with a smirk, pointing the events in another direction.

The night haired Bulgarian followed his lead and prepared herself to resume the fight.

"Me, scared!" she laughed. "Only in your dreams Lieutenant! The way I see it, it's you that is afraid and trying to escape the fight." she teased him and charged.

Ohgami didn't stay in debt. Their blades collided somewhere in the middle of the meadow. They exchanged hit after hit but neither of them could prevail. Sparks flew in the air and burnt the soft grass around them. Both of them put their all in each attack. In vain. Their swords clenched. Despite both of the warriors' efforts, none of them could move even an inch. Their faces were just a breath away from each other, one small move and they would touch. They could feel the other's warmth, smell the sweetness of their sweat. Ohgami's jet black eyes were fixed on the hazel lakes of the woman across him. He could see it all – her soul, her fears, her frustration. Suddenly it all rushed into his head – all she did for him, everything she said, her entire being. In the mist of it all his heat took over his common sense. It was now or never. He reached out and his lips enveloped hers in a passionate kiss. Lilly was so shocked that she almost lost the grip on her katana. She was too petrified to react in any way. After a few moments, which to the spike haired man were like stolen from eternity, Ohgami broke the kiss.

"Even if I have to die right now, I will never regret that." he said with a blissful expression on his face.

He dropped his sword and fell on his knees in the soft grass. The young man put his hands on his lap, closed his eyes and bent his neck, ready to taste the fury of the angel's blade.

Lilly was still in shock. Deep inside her heart the enraged angel and the touched woman were in a fierce fight. She was frozen in the pose where Ohgami's kiss found her – ready to charge, tightly holding the Phoenix in front of her. _A kiss is worth a thousand words_. Those words echoed trough the far ends of her soul. And then it slowly began to sink in. She looked down at the young captain on his knees…

_So calm, so determined, so at peace, so ready to face the consequences of his acts and decisions…_

… and felt proud. A queer sensation of warmth got a hold of her entire being. The angel in her resisted but slowly gave in. Silent tears started running down her pale cheeks. She dropped her katana on the ground and fell on her knees. She cupped the young captain's face and kissed him with such zeal as if his breath was the very thing that kept her alive. After breaking the kiss, with a cat's agility she disappeared running in the blackness of the night.

Author's notes:

Lilly's skin is actually pale. When she first arrived in Teito it was darker due to the fact that after a summer spent in the southern parts of Spain where the angels' base is, she got a strong tan. But after the winter months in Teito, her skin regained its original complexion.

I want to thank everyone who has taken their time to read the story. Please don't be shy and say what you think about it. I'll answer each and every one of you. Special thanks to my good friend Benji Himura for his great reviews, constant support and advices. Thanks a million. Thanks to Shirogami, Kai Greyhound Master for their reviews and kind words. You're the fuel that keeps me going:)

Hope you like the story's development. See ya soon :)


	8. Bliss

Disclaimer: I don't own Sakura wars. I'm just a big fan. I do however own my own characters and story line, as well as my concept of angels. The story might contain violence, abusive language and sexual scenes. If you are underage you'd better stop here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story, have fun :)

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed it so far, please review, no matter good or bad :)

Chapter 8 Bliss

The tender spring wind got stronger and stronger. It raced trough Ohgami's hair, pulling it over his eyes. He stood there, kneeling on the soft grass, motionless. It felt like time was still, as still as his petrified body. Every minute was eternity, every second was forever. His mind was blank. Soon a thought found its way into the depths of his conscious self – he was alive. Slowly he recalled the events that led him to here. The night walk, the duel… All of a sudden his eyes gained a concerned expression. The young captain forced his body to get up, his left shoulder hurt strongly but he didn't seem to care. He sheathed his katanas and with the Phoenix in hand disappeared in the soothing embrace of the night.

When Ohgami finally reached the small Japanese cottage in the far end of the park, the wind stopped its fierce dance. The little house was dark, not a trace of the usual flickering candles. The angel was no where to be found as well. His worry increased as he dashed in the dark house. He ran in panic through the empty rooms. Then a dark silhouette on the back porch caught his glance. With slow steps the spiked haired man approached it from behind. There on the wooden floor the hazel eyed angel was sitting, her arms around her knees.

"You dropped this." he said softly, placing the Phoenix next to her.

He wrapped his hands around her shoulders and gently placed his forehead on the back of her neck.

"You don't have to fight that battle on your own. I'll be here to help you." he whispered in her ear. He could fell her silent tears falling on his arms, crossed on her chest.

Lilly's whole body was shaking. She lowered her head to feel the warmth of his skin. She gently rubbed her chin against his palms. Feeling the blissful touch of her skin, wet from sweat and tears, Ohgami leaned closer on her back. Then the night haired angel sensed some sort of liquid soaking in her sports bra. In a flash she remembered the duel and the fact that she hurt the Hanagumi captain. The Bulgarian turned around quickly and saw the blood red stain on his shirt. She looked into the jet black eyes and in the teary hazel lakes he could read her guilt. He tried to hug her but faster than his arms she disappeared in the house.

_Baka!_ Ohgami clenched his fists. _I drove her away. I'm such an idiot!_

But before he could finish his thoughts, Lilly reappeared holding a box in her hands. She kneeled down before him and slowly opened his shirt. She took out some cotton and disinfection spirit from the box and started cleaning his wound. At first confused, now the young captain was enjoying the angel's attention. She put some bandages on it and sat down on the floor, leaning on the rail posts.

"I am really sorry I caused you this." she said on the verge of tears.

"Don't worry. Thanks to you, I'm all right now." he said comfortingly.

She gave a faint smile.

"Why are you fighting yourself so hard?" he asked with concern. The angel lowered her eyes and looked away. Her face showed nothing but endless hurt. "I know that behind that iron clad mask lays a tender and tormented soul. You don't have to be that tough. You don't have to always be right. Let me take some of the punches for you tonight. Listen to me, I need to let you know that you don't have to go trough it alone. Sometimes you can't make it on your own. But I will always be here for you."

Lilly was still looking away, to an unknown point in the distance. The night wind appeared again and took her tears with him. She huddled up tighter, wrapping her hands around her knees. Ohgami gently reached out to her and pulled her closer in a warm embrace. He put his head on hers and softly caressed her trembling skin. For the first time since she became an angel, the night haired Bulgarian felt so safe in another's arms. As much as he wanted to stay in this moment forever, the young captain let her go from his hug just to draw her face closer to his. He looked straight into her scared hazel eyes.

"You don't have to be alone." he whispered tenderly. "I will always be here for you."

No more words were needed. In perfect synchrony, as if they were one being, they sealed their bodies in a passionate kiss. Lilly's fingers were buried deep into the spiked hair of the young man while he undid her bun, letting her night black locks cascade freely upon her fragile form. After a few blissful moments they broke the kiss. Ohgami was looking straight into Lilly's eyes, which now were so serene, as if the woman in his arms wasn't the same being he fought before that. He tried to say something but the Bulgarian put her finger over his lips. He smiled – no words were needed. She leaned forward and kissed him with such fire that the young captain almost lost balance in surprise. He didn't stay in debt. The zeal with which he responded made the angel's heart jump with joy. Their tongues danced passionately around each other. Very slowly, Ohgami placed Lilly on the wooden floor, his lips still deeply sealed with hers. He crushed his body on hers while his hands traveled from her neck slowly to her thighs, gently caressing each millimeter of her soft skin. She tenderly stroked the back of his neck with one hand while tickling his spin with the other. They both broke for air with smiles on their faces. With a sharp move the angel changed their places and gave the captain a quick kiss. Then she licked his lips with the tip of her tongue. After a few rounds, with light kisses she moved to his ear. She stayed there for a while leaving hot wet trails and gasps in his ear lob. The Japanese moaned with pleasure. He pushed Lilly away and fiercely ripped her sports bra letting her breasts bounce freely. He filled his hands with them, gently massaging them. The Bulgarian groaned blissfully while Ohgami toyed with the tips of her nipples. After enjoying the moment, she leaned down and with light kisses advanced gently to the lower part of his body. When she reached his belly button, she twirled around it with her tongue for a few moments and then with a quick movement took off the Lieutenant's pants. With a strong grip, the spike haired man pulled her up for a passionate kiss and without letting her lips go, he pinned her under him. Both their hands were everywhere exploring the other's body. The tension was mounting up and finally Ohgami disposed of their shorts and after giving his lover an ardent kiss, he fiercely entered her. All the surroundings were filled with their delightful cries. The soft night breeze and moon caressed their fussed bodies. Then out of nowhere, deep purple clouds wrapped the full moon in a tight embrace. The sky started crying. Crying out of joy at the sight of the two souls melted in one. The silky rain fell softly on their sweaty bodies but they didn't seem to acknowledge its presence. Along with the dirt and sweat, it washed away all the hurt and pain both of them had accumulated over the years. Their bodies began to shake strongly and in a flash, pleasureful waves echoed to the far end of their beings. Ohgami collapsed upon the angel's fragile body. She tenderly stoked his wet hair, removing a few loose strands from his eyes and smiled. He smiled back and kissed her passionately. Even though the rain hid her tears, the young captain could sense her silent sobs. Slowly and unwillingly, he broke the kiss and looked concerned into her wet eyes.

"No more." he whispered softly while taking in her tears with a kiss. "Never again."

"Aishiteru" she said gently in his mouth while lovingly wrapping her lips around his.

Then he understood she was shedding tears of joy and not of pain. Slowly she collapsed on the floor, exhausted from the tremendous pressure and the happy revelation. Ohgami took the angel in his arms and brought her inside. He dried both their bodies and laid her on the futon in the bedroom. Tired as well, he lay down beside her, pulling her in a soft embrace, lacing their fingers together.

The first morning rays greeted the couple still locked in a tight embrace. Ohgami was the first to wake. He thought he was still dreaming when he laid eyes on the fragile woman in his arms. But no, it was not a dream, she was there, asleep, with such a serene expression on her face. The young captain smiled at the heavenly sight. Then slowly, trying hard not to wake her, he got up.

Maybe an hour later, Lilly was awakened by the tender morning song of the little sparrows. A radiant smile decorated her face when she remembered last night. She searched around for her spike haired lover but found only the tangled sheets. Sadness fell like a veil on her face. But just as quick as it came, it disappeared and gave way to happiness. She jumped out of the futon and grabbed a t-shirt. When she reached the kitchen door in quiet steps, the sight that burst upon her brought joyful tears to her eyes. She tiptoed trough the small room and hugged Ohgami tightly from behind.

"Ohayo." said gently the young man, wrapping his arms around hers.

"Ohayo." she replied leaning her head on his back.

The spike haired Japanese turned slowly in his lover's embrace and kissed her tenderly.

"So Lilly-hime, are you hungry?" he asked lovingly.

"Ichiro… you're embarrassing me." she blushed softly. "But I wouldn't refuse something to eat."

The Hanagumi captain smiled and together they laid the table in the living room. They sat down in a loving embrace and enjoyed the light breakfast Ohgami had prepared. When they finished, they just rested in each other's arms, relishing the warmth of their love for one another. Accidentally Lilly laid eyes on the clock and with sadness realized their time together was up.

"What is it, my love?" asked the young man worriedly, sensing the slight change in the night haired woman.

"It's time for you to go…" she said with hints of grief in her voice.

"But all I wish to do is stay right here, in your arms."

"I know, my love. I feel the same. But if you stay here, the others will get suspicious. And we can't allow that to happen. For the sake of everybody we have to keep our relation a secret."

"You are right." said Ohgami, pulling her closer.

He gave her a passionate kiss. When he finally broke for air, he cupped her face, softly smiling at her. He caressed her cheek tenderly and got up, heading for the door.

"Hey, Lieutenant!" a voice filled with laughter stopped him. He turned around and saw Lilly with a sexy smirk on her face. "You don't plan on showing in the theater with only your under shorts on, don't you?"

They both had a very good laugh. Then Lilly went to her room. When she got back, she was holding a dark blue track suit bottom and a red t-shirt.

"Here, take these." she handed him the clothes. "They're Kayama's. Sometimes we run together and I usually take care of his clothes. They're clean, don't worry." she laughed lightly.

The young man put on the clothes with a smile on his face. Then he kissed his beloved and disappeared running from her sight. She stood staring at the end of the path that led to the theater before pouring herself a cup of the delicious hot chocolate that Ohgami had prepared. She sat down on the porch, leaning her back on the wall. The soft wind was playing trough her long night black hair, decorating it with different colored petals. The sun was tenderly caressing her smiling face. She closed her eyes to fully enjoy its tender touch.

"Does that taste any good?" a shadow blocked the warm sun's rays. Lilly unwillingly opened her eyes and gave the intruder a strong slap at the same time.

"Ahhhh!" screamed a brown haired man, rubbing his redden cheek. "Now what did you do THAT for!"

"Kayama, you just never learn." responded the angel coldly. "How many times must I tell you to stop sneaking up on people like that? The more you do it, the more pain it will cause you. I see that the scar from Kaede's ring on your right cheek hasn't healed yet." she said with an evil smirk.

The Tsukigumi captain placed his hand thoughtfully on the scar, remembering the incident a week ago. He had finally gotten the courage to ask Kaede out and had decided to surprise her with some flowers as his cousin had suggested but had gotten a slap in return.

"Why the lone face, Kayama? What's wrong?" asked Lilly with concern.

"Ahh…" sighed deeply the brown haired man. "I don't stand a chance. She hates me. And I'm such an idiot." the angel's face faded at the young man's words. "But please, let's not talk about that. Now, you on the other hand are a more interesting subject."

Taken away from her thoughts, the night haired Bulgarian looked at her cousin with dull uncomprehending eyes. Kayama had an evil sexy smirk on his lips.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on Lilly! Just because I wasn't around lately, doesn't mean I don't know what is happening here. Besides, you're the closest person I have in this world. I know you better than I know myself. Yesterday's duel was pretty impressive. You both fought with such zeal. And what happened afterwards was even more impressive."

A sharp sound was heard and Kayama held his face in pain.

"That was none of your business, you hentai!" screamed Lilly, her eyes red with anger.

"I'm sorry. It really wasn't. I didn't mean to offend you, coz. Sorry." apologized the brown eyed man, shocked by the angel's reaction.

Lilly lowered her eyes and sat on the floor, hugging her knees. Kayama kneeled down and embraced her softly.

"I love him, Kayama. I love him so much. I never thought that somebody could understand me so well, to be so… so the same as me, so within me. It's like we are the same being, the same soul. Kayama, please don't report that, let it be our little secret." she said almost trough tears.

"Don't worry, I won't say anything. But you know that Ayame and Yoneda are bound to find out sooner or later."

"I know. Just for now. I'm afraid that I may lose him."

Kayama hugged her closer and gently caressed her back.

"Don't worry sladka. I'll never allow that."

Later that day

A young woman dressed with jeans and a tight low cut red t-shirt approached the gardener's house. Before knocking on the door she arranged her short brown hair. Lilly opened the door with a radiant smile.

"Kaede! You're right on time. Let me just put some comfortable shoes and we'll hit town."

Minutes later the two women exited the theater grounds hand in hand. After their first encounter almost half a year ago, Lilly and Kaede grew closer and spent a lot of time together. After a long and tiring shopping streak, they sat down in a quiet café.

"Say Lilly, what's up with Kayama sneaking up on people?" asked Kaede, trying to strike up a conversation.

"Why do you ask me?"

"Well he IS your cousin." said the brown haired woman, sipping her coffee.

"We haven't seen each other for 20 years. I can't really explain his present habits." answered emotionlessly the hazel eyed Bulgarian. "Why are you asking me about Kayama anyway?"

"Oh, no reason." answered Kaede. As much as she wanted to hide the soft blush on her cheeks, the trained eye of the spy caught it.

Holding her cup of tea in front of her mouth, Lilly gave a smirk. She was now certain what to do.

An hour later the women arrived at the theater. Just before they were about to say goodbye, the angel turned to her friend:

"Kaede, will you meet tomorrow night at midnight in the city park, by the lake." she asked.

"Sure Lilly. But why?"

"I want to show you something."

"Ok then. See you tomorrow."

"Till tomorrow."

A week later

Ohgami was writing some reports, happily whistling a tune when a knock on the door took him away from his paradise.

"Come in." he said.

To his utmost astonishment on the door appeared none other than his good friend Kayama. The spike haired man couldn't believe his eyes - Kayama using the door and not sneaking from god knows where. That was a first.

"Hi pal. Do you have a minute to spare?" he asked joyfully.

"S-s-sure." answered Ohgami, not yet recovered from the shock.

"I just wanted to say that I'm really happy about you and Lilly. You deserve each other. But be careful. For the sake of the Hanagumi, you must keep this a secret. Lilly asked me not to tell anyone, so for now only the three of us know. But knowing Ayame, it's only a matter of time before she finds out." his face suddenly gained a serious expression. "I am warning you again, if you do anything to hurt my sladka, I swear I'll kill you, even though you're my best friend."

"I love her too much my friend. She is a part of me, how could I ever hurt her." said the spike haired man with the same seriousness in his eyes.

Kayama smiled widely as he tapped his friend on the shoulder.

"Good! I'd better go now because you have a lot of work to do." said the brown haired man as he headed for the door. Just before leaving the room, he turned to Ohgami and said softly "Ichiro, she is an amazing woman. Take good care of her."

"I promise." the Hanagumi captain nodded tenderly.

Kayama smiled at him and left. As he walked trough the hallways of the theater, his memories took him to the city park a week earlier. It was midnight and he was supposed to meet Lilly by the lake. She said it was important. But as he reached the spot, he was surprised to see that the figure lit by the moonlight wasn't his cousin but another angel, the one that ruled his heart – Kaede. He stood in the shadows of the trees, not knowing what to do, just admiring her. He gained all his courage and approached her. Slowly he put his hand on her shoulder. She turned around harshly ready to slap the intruder but her hand froze in mid air when she saw the look in the young man's eyes. She tried to say something but he put his finger on her lips. Kayama enjoyed the soft touch of her skin for a few seconds before leaning down and kissing her tenderly. Kaede responded to his affection with the same. She softly wrapped her hands around his neck, gently caressing it.

A hug from behind brought Kayama back to the present.

"Hello, my sweet." a soft voice whispered in his ear.

He smiled, recognizing Kaede's voice. He turned around to face her and pulled her closer in a passionate kiss. He buried his head in her hair and inhaled her sweet scent. He had never felt better in his life.

"Thank you Lilly." whispered the brown haired man with a serene expression on his face.

Author's note:

The words that Ohgami says to comfort Lilly were inspired by a wonderful song by U2 – "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own". It's great, I highly recommend it. Actually some of the words Ichiro said are an exact quote.

Ohayo (Japanese) – Good morning

Hime (Japanese) – princess

I want to thank everyone who has taken their time to read the story. Please don't be shy and say what you think about it. I'll answer each and every one of you. Special thanks go to myvery specialfriend Benji Himura for his great reviews, constant support and advices. Thanks a million. I don't know what I would do without you, my Benji-kun. Thanks to Shirogami, Kai and Greyhound Master for their reviews and kind words. You're the fuel that keeps me going:)

Hope you like the story's development. See ya soon :)


	9. Thunder In Paradise

Disclaimer: I don't own Sakura wars. I'm just a big fan. I do however own my own characters and story line, as well as my concept of angels. The story might contain violence, abusive language and sexual scenes. If you are underage you'd better stop here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story, have fun :)

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed it so far, please review, no matter good or bad :)

Chapter 9 Thunder In Paradise

Teito, May 1929

The tender rays of the unusually hot for the end of May sun caressed the blooming trees. The imperial capital had turned into a sea of bright colours – white, light green, all shades of pink, purple and yellow were mixing with the beautiful songs of the birds that have finally returned home after the long winter. The city was half asleep, resting in the idyllic atmosphere of the late spring. All the Hanagumi were enjoying a well deserved break playing cards in the common room. Well maybe not all of them. Their young captain was lying lazily in the upper branches of a tree in the far end of the TeiGeki Park, hiding in the soft greenness of its grand foliage while gently caressing the face of the beautiful woman in his arms. More than a year had passed since the night the Bulgarian warrior broke her vow. A year out of time, out of space. The serene look in the eyes of the angel revealed her thoughts were far away and her lack of care on the matter. She was happy. In the past year and a half the Hanagumi had grown immensely as a team and as well as individuals and warriors. The battles were getting fewer and fewer and the war was going towards its end or so it seemed. For the first time in her life, she felt safe to place herself in someone else's hands.

Lilly turned in the young captain's arms, facing him. She looked deep into his jet black eyes. He just stared back in her hazel pools. No words. Only the love they had for each other. It reached to the far ends of the world and yet it filled both their hearts that now beat as one. Ohgami was the first to break the frozen in time silence of their long looks. Gently he moved a few loose strands of hair away from the milky white face of the angel. He caressed her soft cheeks barely touching her skin, smiling at the light blush that formed on them. She closed her eyes, enjoying his touch. He gently cupped her face and very slowly moved it to his. His lips tenderly enveloped her fluffy crimson ones, melting in a deep passionate kiss. They stood like that for long pleasurable moments. Ohgami was the first to break the kiss.

"I have to go my love…" said the young captain, sorrow clearly dripping from his voice.

"Hush…" replied the Bulgarian, placing her finger on his lips, looking straight at him with big tearful pleading eyes. "Please… please, Ichiro… stay a little longer. You know that tonight I won't be able to come to you, nor will you be able to be with me…"

The dark haired Japanese pulled the woman closer to him giving her a light kiss on the forehead. "Sush… it's all right koibito, I'll stay with you. There is nowhere else in the world I'd rather be right now. Aishiteru."

"Aishiteru…"

Lilly leaned down and drowned in the soft embrace of the young Hanagumi captain. For long minutes they stayed just like that, enjoying each other's warmth and presence. Unknown to the other they both drifted to the same moment in time.

It was less than half a month ago. Two male silhouettes were watching the setting sun from the bridge over the small stream in Teito Park. Dressed in a black suit with a creamy grey shirt without a tie, Kayama was leaning on the rail while Ohgami, clad in dark blue trousers and ivory jacket over a navy blue shirt, was standing beside him, hands in his pockets, deep in thoughts. Suddenly the Tsukigumi captain rose from his position and turned north to the alley that led to the bridge. Ichiro looked at his friend with amazement. Very soon he understood what the trained spy had sensed right away. The air was tick with the sent of white plums after rain, Kaede's favorite perfume, and of Lilly's heavy sweat aroma of jasmine and wild roses. Both men looked to the alley eagerly awaiting their beloved women. Not a second later from the blooming trees appeared two slender figures. Kayama and Ohgami wowed at the splendorous sight of their lovers.

"God! They're so beautiful…" whispered Ichiro after catching his breath.

"They sure are…" managed to answer Kayama.

Chuckling softly, Lilly and Kaede approached the bridge as if walking on air. The Bulgarian warrior was dressed in a silver-blue satin strapless gown with a matching shawl. Her hair was pulled back in a loose bun, decorated with some small blue flowers. Her friend was wearing a black figure-hugging dress with thin straps and a really low neckline that made Kayama's heart beat out of rhythm, her hair was pulled back from her face by a tiara. After they gave their stunned lovers a warm kiss, they took them by hand and urged them to go.

"My, girls… you look like goddesses!" managed to mumble in unison Kayama and Ohgami, both equally amazed.

Soft pink blushes found their way to the girls' cheeks. They both smiled timidly with closed eyes, moving closer to their lovers.

All four of them spent an amazing evening. After weeks of careful planning Ohgami and Kayama had managed to arrange the perfect night out – candlelit dinner under the blooming Sakura trees and dances under the starry night sky…

A sudden whiff of the cool wind woke the young lovers from their daydream and brought them back to the present. The Hanagumi captain smiled while holding his beloved close to him and softly kissing her. He looked at the sun that was slowly beginning its journey down west towards its resting place. His serene face took a darker expression.

"I really should go now my love…" he said looking somewhere in the distance as to avoid the hidden plea in Lilly's eyes. "I love you…" he whispered in her ear just before leaping down on the ground.

"I love you too…" barely heard, replied the Bulgarian warrior. Hints of tears shown in her eyes. She stayed like that for a few minutes fighting hard her urges to run and follow him so that she could hug and kiss him once more. Then agile as a cat she jumped out of the tree crown to land softly on the grass floor below. She looked with longing at the direction where Ohgami disappeared. Out of nowhere a strong breeze came and played among her long loose night black hair. She stood like that gazing at the distance for long moments, unaware that two pairs of troubled eyes were watching her from above.

Ayame was standing in one of the open windows at the second floor of the Imperial Theater, deep in thoughts, her stare fixed on the angel. Slowly Yoneda put his arms on the Major's shoulders.

"Don't worry Ayame. You should be happy. They are like a match made in heaven. They suit each other so well." the General tried to comfort her.

"I know… and I'm happy for her… for them… really I am. But still I'm worried. Sooner or later the others will find out. They won't be able to hide this forever. And I don't know how the team will take it. Things have been going really well those last few months, even more - the year that has passed was amazing… But I can sense Lilly fears something. I can't explain it, but I know it. I can sense that even though she hides it even from herself, deep inside she is tormented because she knows that this fragile paradise might be crushed in a single moment and that moment might not be so far away…"

Both the commanders sunk in their troubled thoughts as they stared at the night hair that was cascading in the wind. As the wind grew stronger and stronger, it took a few precious pearls from the angel's eyes. Slowly and unsteadily Lilly started for the Gardener's house, the strong wind still blowing after her.

A few hours later, Ayame couldn't resist the urge to talk to her friend about what she felt. She needed to set peace in her troubled and tormented heart. The Major made up a lame excuse about not feeling well to leave her station although to Yoneda it was quite clear what the real reason was. He just nodded his head, heavy with his own troubled thoughts at the petite woman's request to take the rest of the day off.

The sky was slowly turning scarlet when Ayame finally gathered courage to stop strolling dissolutely around the TeiGeki Park and head for the small cottage at its far end. As she walked on the path she must have passed a thousand times this year and a half, she remembered how she came to know about the relationship of her friend and the Hanagumi captain. Even back then, twelve months ago, deep in her heart she knew. She sensed Lilly's inner battle and then the immense relief and happiness that echoed throughout the corners of the angel's soul. But it wasn't until a fateful late July afternoon that she found out the true reason behind it all.

It was still really hot even though the sun was heading towards its ocean bed. The petite brunette had a lot of reports to check and fill and the inviting summer heat wasn't helping her at all. She was dreaming of a quiet rest on the seaside when she heard a muffled laugh and moan coming from the hall. Taken out of her daydream, Ayame rose from her chair and trying as hard as she can not to make any noise, approached the door. Part of her was pulling her away, screaming that eavesdropping on someone is indecent but when she recognized her friend's voice curiosity took over her.

"Koneko..." she whispered in surprise.

On the other side of the wall the voices were getting a little louder.

"Mmmm…. Ichiro, not here… what if someone came by..." a female voice was protesting feebly at the passionate kisses of the young Japanese.

"Don't worry my love… no one will come, they are all in the training room…" answered Ohgami as he kissed Lilly's white neck softly but persistently. "I can't bear a second without you koibito… I love you… I need you more than the air I breathe…"

"I feel the same koishii… I love you more than life itself… but Ichiro, think about the team. We have to bear the consequences of our actions. We mustn't let anyone see u…"

The young Hanagumi captain cut her sentence short with a deep kiss, making her fall defenseless in his arms, pressing her body on the wall while crushing his own one onto hers. They kissed for long blissful moments, just savoring each other's taste and presence. From across the hall, peeking through the barely cracked office door, Ayame's heart was skipping beats in amazement, fright and happiness.

Unwilling to do so, Ohgami broke the passionate kiss and backed away a little. He happily stared at the serene look in the eyes of the woman in his arms while licking his lips in pleasure.

"I must go… Aishiteru…" he whispered lovingly in her ear. After kissing her fluffy lips one more time, he swiftly disappeared round the corner.

Lilly just stayed like he left her – leaning on the wall, unable to move from delight, breathing in deep gasps. Ayame waited a few minutes just admiring the blissful expression on her friend's face. Then very quietly she opened the door and approached the angel.

"How about some water to calm the fire down?" she asked teasingly with the sunniest smile on her face.

Lilly opened her closed eyes in surprise at the sound of her friend's voice.

"Kotori…" she barely whispered, not knowing what to say.

"When were you planning to tell me about you and Ohgami? How long have you two been together?" asked the older woman half teasing, half scolding.

Lilly lowered her eyes before answering. "We've been together two months now… Ayame… I really wished to tell you. But I was afraid… I was so afraid of yours and pappy Yoneda's reaction. I know what you would say, that we were insane and we should think about the team and what we might do to its integrity. You would probably be right… But I love him Kotori…" hints of tears shone in the corners of Lilly's eyes "I love him so much… Never in my entire life, has someone been so in touch with me, so the same as me, so near me…" the angel let her tears flow freely now. Ayame was petrified; all she could do was stare in shock at her friend. Lilly looked her friend straight in the eyes "I don't want to loose him, Ayame… I was afraid that I might loose him if I told you… I'm so sorry…"

When she overcame the initial shock, Ayame slowly moved to the angel. She wrapped her hands around the still shaking body of the Bulgarian warrior and pulled her close in a hug. She gently rubbed the tears that were still in the corners of the younger woman's eyes and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry Koneko… I will never do anything that would make you loose Ohgami."

A bitter smile forced its way on the Major's lips as she walked towards the gardener's house, remembering this. Lilly was right about one thing though. Yoneda didn't take it all too well. She can still hear him screaming like in the day the angel finally confessed. Ayame's smile grew wider as the picture of the old General, half drunk, waving his hands at Lilly and Ohgami and shouting what were they thinking, appeared in her mind. The wind blew stronger and took the petite woman out of her thoughts. The sun had already set. Only an enormous trace of crimson lava, smeared on the horizon line, melting in the darker shade of the sky was all that was left of Helios's son now. Ayame's heart started beating faster. She found herself in front of her friend's door, but unable to move further. It seemed like she was standing there for eternity, contemplating on whether to step in or go back. Finally, the concerned friend in her took over. She gathered all her strength and with a determined expression knocked on the door. There was no answer. She knocked again but once more silence was all she received. She got a little worried and instinctively grabbed the door knob and twisted it. To her amazement, the door cracked open. The Major stepped slowly in. For a few minutes she wandered about in the dark and silent premises in a slight panic. Then a soft hum coming from the back porch brought a relieved smile on her lips. Slowly she went outside. The sight that opened to her made her freeze in her steps with delight. Basking in the last crimson rays of the sun which made her soft milky skin glow with a queer warm light, Lilly was sitting on the wooden floor, leaning her back on the wall. Her knees were pulled close and on them lay a notebook with heavy brown leather covers. Softly humming a tender lullaby that made Ayame drift in a dream, the angel was writing something carefully.

"Still writing that play?" asked after a long silence the petite woman, motherly happiness dripping from her voice.

Slowly Lilly raised her head and smiled serenely at her friend.

"Hello Birdie. I finished it, you know. I'm just making some final adjustments. I think that tomorrow morning you'll have the manuscript on your desk to check and see whether it will suit the Imperial Theater."

"I'm sure it will. I can't wait to read it. What is it about?" asked the Major curiously.

"Mmmm… that's a surprise. You'll see tomorrow." answered Lilly teasingly. Then all of a sudden a dark shadow covered her face. It became serious and worried. "But you didn't come here to talk about my play, didn't you Ayame? Something is bothering you. I can see it clearly even behind that bittersweet smile of yours. What's wrong?" asked the angel with concern.

The older woman approached slowly and sat down on the porch next to the Bulgarian warrior. She hugged her knees and pinned her look on the wooden floor. For long moments they both stayed in a tense uncomfortable silence. Realizing the deep inner torture of her friend, Lilly pulled the petite woman in a warm embrace and softly caressed her neatly pulled back hair.

"Birdie… what's wrong? Are you all right?" fear was echoing in her voice.

"I'm scared Koneko… I'm so scared…" finally muttered Major Fujieda. She let all her fears, worries and frustration go and silent tears started falling on the angel's arms. "I can sense that you're afraid. Even thought you're hiding these fears from me, from Ohgami and from yourself as well, I can feel them very well. What scares me the most is that deep inside I'm sure that your fears are justified and their threat is upon us…" Ayame gulped her tears and broke free from her friend's embrace. Her put her hands on the Bulgarian's shoulders and looked straight into the deep hazel pools. "Lilly… I'm scared that I might loose you again. That all that we've accomplished in this year and a half might disappear…" the stare in Ayame's eyes was so serious and grim that it made the angel backed away a little in shock. She stood petrified for what to both women seemed eternity. Then the night-haired warrior lowered her eyes, gently removed her friend's hand from her shoulders and very slowly stood up and moved to the rail.

For long tormenting minutes Lilly gazed in the distance where the molten crimson lava had vanished completely in the uncertainty of the night. The sky was pitch black, there wasn't a single star to light up the threatening darkness.

"Ayame… I wish I could say that you are wrong. I want to tell you that your fears are unreasonable… that everything will remain the same as it is now, that I will never leave…. But I can't. The time when I must face and accept the consequences of my action and decisions, is near…" out of nowhere an unusually cold wind wrapped the TeiGeki garden, making both women shiver. Lilly was still with her back to the brunette Major and Ayame couldn't see the endless sadness and emptiness in the angel's eyes. "Too near…"

On the next day

The sun had already risen but the morning was dull and grey. A heavy blanket of clouds had engulfed the smiling kid and not even the wind could banish the impending tension that was upon the Imperial Theater.

Slowly Ayame stepped in the office. General Yoneda was on a meeting and wouldn't be here until the late afternoon so she was alone. Her eyes were swollen and sore form the sleepless and full of tears night she passed. Her mind was still in her yesterday conversation with Lilly. _"Too near…" _those words kept on repeating themselves, screaming to every corner of the Major's being. _"The time when I must face and accept the consequences of my action and decisions". _The Japanese woman took her head in both hands and shook it in frustration.

"NO!" she cried with all her power at the sky. "No…" she muttered through her tears as she collapsed on the chair behind her desk.

She tried her best to recompose herself. After all she was the vice commander of the Imperial Capital Defense Force. She couldn't allow her inner fears and doubts to interfere with her job. She would never forgive herself if by her own weakness she caused to destroy that for which she strived so much – the integrity of the Hanagumi.

Ayame wiped away her tears and banished the despair, replacing it with determination. She looked at her desk to see what her agenda for the day was and noticed a notebook with heavy brown leather covers on top of the papers. In an absolute opposite to the mood she was just seconds ago, the petite woman smiled widely and even chuckled happily.

"Koneko… so she managed to finish it after all. And I thought that she would never actually complete it…"

The Japanese Major gently but eagerly opened the notebook and curiously started reading the delicate handwriting. She smiled tenderly as she read the title - "Raindrops in Spring". And just then, unknown to Ayame, the sky broke and started crying softly.

In the late afternoon

The sky was still grey. It has been raining all day already. All the Hanagumi had gathered in the common room after a busy day of training.

"Man… it's raining all day." complained Kohran, staring through the window. "This is so frustrating. I wanted to do some outdoor tests. If it keeps up like that who knows when I would get those adjustments on the Koubus done…"

"Cheer up Kohran." said Kanna, trying to raise the Chinese's spirits. "It's just a summer rain. They're unpredictable. It will stop just like it started. Don't worry you'll get those adjustments done."

As she uttered those words, the redhead gave a strong push on the cue and nailed the black ball in the right middle pocket.

"All right! Maria did you see that! We won!" screamed in happiness the Okinawan.

The blond returned a subtle smile to her friend but her jade eyes were shining with the delight of the hard earned victory. They were playing pools against Ohgami and Lilly during the whole afternoon and so far had taken quite a beating.

"Congratulations guys." smirked evilly the angel. "Enjoy your luck while it lasts."

"Ohhh… but it is you, who should be careful daragaya." replied Maria with a teasing threat.

"Yeah, 'cause we're gonna kick your buts!" finished Kanna.

"Don't be so sure Kanna." smiled Ohgami. "We've been sweeping the floor with you all afternoon. That was just a gift so that you won't back out and call it quits." he continued mockingly.

"Don't sell me that crap, Taicho. We beat you fair and square." boasted the redhead. "And we're gonna do it again, right Maria?"

"Sure Kanna." backed her up the Russian.

The four continued their small friendly arguing in a little louder way that made Kohran turn around. The sight that opened in front of her brought a chuckle that the Chinese barely muffled. Sitting in a really comfortable armchair, Sumire was reading. Trying to read was more close to reality. Her face was hidden behind a copy of "Les Miserable" but to the inventor it was quite clear that the brown-eyed Japanese was fuming. Her hands were shaking, her face was turning red, she was using every last drop of her strength trying not to flare up. Her whole body started trembling, turning crimson when she reached her boiling point.

"Will you all just SHUT UP!" Sumire screamed going into a frenzy. "I'M TRYING TO READ!"

For a second everybody stood silent looking at the now crimson all over, panting hard to catch her breath Kanzaki heiress. Kanna was the first to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Cactus woman, can't you see we're trying to play." she said hesitantly.

"Don't talk back to me like that, Ape woman. I was the one reading quietly and you the ones making the noise." quickly replied Sumire getting angrier.

"You… you…" the redhead grinded through her teeth not willing to admit defeat. Very shortly they started their typical trade mark quarrel.

"Stop it everyone! Iris can't hear her own thought with you making all that noise." a tiny voice filled the room.

All eyes turned to the little blond girl that was now standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her waist and a determined expression on her face. Everybody, including Sakura who till that moment was playing with the French girl, froze in amazement. When she achieved what she wanted, silence, Iris smiled and returned to the game. But as she was sitting down, she noticed the book that the brunette diva had dropped on the floor.

"Sumire-neechan, here is your book." she smiled as she kneeled to pick it up. "Oh… but why are there two books in here?" she asked incomprehensively.

"Iris… give it ba…" hurried to say Sumire but it was too late. Kanna had already grabbed the books from the little girl's hands.

"What have we here…" the redhead giggled victoriously with an evil spark in her eyes. "My, my cactus woman… I never knew you were fond of such… hmmm… romantic novels."

"It's not what it looks like…" started to defend herself Sumire, getting crimson with embarrassment.

Kanna was triumphing. She was looking at Sumire whose eyes admitted defeat. The brunette actress was shorter than grass. She was sweating and looking around as if searching for a place to hide. All the others were curious to understand just what was exactly happening. Just then the door of the common room opened with a loud bang. All heads turned around to the direction of the noise. Sumire sighed in relief. Ayame entered the room with determination.

"It's brilliant!" said excited the petite woman. "Just brilliant!"

"What are you talking about Kotori?" Lilly asked the question that was burning on everybody's lips.

"Your play, Koneko. It's absolutely fabulous. We'll be performing it next month." answered the Major firmly.

"You're kidding right." jumped back the angel, blushing deep crimson. "But you can't just approve it without pappy Yoneda reading it. And it can't be that good." tried to protest the Bulgarian.

"It's already decided. We're performing it next month. And I'm sure that the manager would agree with me." Ayame smiled happily. "No buts. Everything is arranged. In fact I think that the scripts are being delivered as we speak."

"Ohhh…. Iris can't wait to read Lilly-neechan's play! Iris is sure that she will love it!" cried happily the little girl as she rushed through the door.

"Me neither!" cried after her Sakura.

Excitement and curiosity took over the rest of the Hanagumi as they followed their two teammates to the office.

"I'll be going too. The others will need me, we have much more preparations to do." said Ayame, happily enjoying her victory over the angel before disappearing in the darkness of the hallway after the others.

Lilly stood in amazement, supporting herself with one hand on the table with the other holding the cue. She never actually believed that her play would see daylight, let alone create such an excitement. Very slowly Ohgami made her sit on the sofa. He put her head to rest on his chest and gently caressed her hair.

"So you finished it?" he whispered tenderly in her ear. The Bulgarian just nodded her head really softly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Lilly slowly moved her head to Ohgami's lap and laced her fingers with the ones of his free hand.

"I wanted to but I didn't get the chance. I wanted to show it to you first but I didn't want to wake you so early in the morning, you were sleeping so soundly, with such a peaceful expression on your face." she stood up and faced him. She gently caressed his cheek with the back of her palm. "And I never imagined that Ayame would like it so much, to actually put on a performance."

Ohgami pulled the angel close in a light kiss. "Don't worry koibito. It's ok, I don't mind."

Lilly looked at him and smiled warmly. She leaned close to him and whispered "I love you" in his mouth before kissing him passionately.

"I love you too." whispered back Ohgami after the long blissful minutes they shared in a kiss.

He gently pushed her a little back to enjoy her hazel eyes. The young captain removed a loose strand of her night black hair and caressed her milky skin.

"What's wrong my love?" he asked with concern.

"Nothing Ichiro. I'm fine. What makes you say that?" asked the angel, her voice shaking with hints of fear.

"I don't know. I just feel that something is troubling you."

"Don't worry darling, everything is all right." Lilly gave off a bittersweet smile, hoping Ohgami wouldn't suspect her little white lie.

The Japanese softly kissed her forehead and hugged her tight.

"Will I see you tonight?" he whispered in her ear, more like a request than a question.

"Mmmm… As much as I would love spending the night with you darling, I think I would be visited by too many people this evening. It's too big a risk." answered the angel reluctantly.

"Then, come to me later in the night." persisted the young Hanagumi captain. "I doubt someone will bother you after midnight. Onegai koibito, I need you…"

"Ichiro…" Lilly didn't know what to say. Her heart was torn to pieces. She craved to talk to him about her worries but she didn't want to trouble him. She leaned close and kissed his lips lightly. "You'd better go. Ayame will need your help…"

Disappointment was written all over Ohgami's face. His eyes were shining with pleads and hidden tears. But Lilly's eyes were down on the floor, avoiding her lover's pools in fear he'll read the whole truth in them. After a few painful moments of waiting, the young man realized any more words would be not only unnecessary but harmful. Very slowly he stood up and headed for the door. Just before leaving the room, the spike haired Japanese turned around one last time seeking the eyes of his beloved. In vain. Lilly was looking through the window. She had her back to him so Ohgami couldn't see that her hazel pools were filled with tears.

"Ashiteru" whispered the young captain as he exited the common room.

The rain had stopped. But even though the shinny kid had finally managed to escape from its cloudy prison, its rays weren't warm. The common room was engulfed in a cold scarlet light. Huddled in the corner of the sofa, Lilly was crying. Without words, without a sound, without even tears. The little safe world she created was crashing down in her feet and she felt powerless to stop it.

The night had wrapped Teito in its mysterious embrace. Everyone seemed to be asleep. It was quiet. Too quiet. The sky was dark. There wasn't a single star and the moon was hiding somewhere, afraid to penetrate the darkness. Lilly was sitting on the steps of the back porch of the Gardener's house. The air was still and the weather was hot. She was wearing a pair of light blue jeans with a heavy brown leather belt, a short bright yellow figure hugging top with a loose neck-line and sleeves that went a little below her elbows. Her feet were bare and her hair was tied in a pony tail on top of her head. She stood alert, searching for answers in the darkness.

All of a sudden, with no obvious reason, Lilly leaped in the black of the night. She ran fast through the garden as if drawn to something or someone. She ended up in the same clearing where she dueled with Ohgami almost a year ago. The full moon broke the wall of clouds for a few moments and lit the face of the angel who was standing in the middle of the meadow, piercing the darkness with her seeking glares. A content smile appeared on the crimson lips of the Bulgarian. She closed her eyes and let her hands fall freely beside her body. A bluish aura surrounded her as her body began slowly to rise in the still air and white wings grew on her back. She was about 10 meters above the ground when she opened her eyes and the night read in them boundless determination. As quick as the wind she flew to the roof. She walked slowly to the far north end. When she got there, her victorious smile faded. All that was there was the mockery of the night breeze that echoed through her ears. Annoyed and disappointed, the angel sat down on the cool roof and let her hair flow freely in the warm night wind.

"It's been quite a while… djudj…" a gentle voice filled the night air. Lilly just smiled softly with her eyes closed.

"It really has been, Nia." said the Bulgarian without turning around or moving from where she was sitting.

A slim figure a little taller than Lilly sat down beside her. She had deep brown eyes, short reddish brown wavy hair and the same milky skin as the Bulgarian. She was clad in black jeans with a black leather belt, a black shirt, the first two buttons of which were open and black boots. If it weren't for the color of her skin and the pair of angelic white wings on her back, she would be almost invisible in the starless night. Long moments they stood in uneasy silence, their hairs flowing in the now cold night breeze.

"Why are you here Nia? You didn't come just to say hi…" asked emotionlessly Lilly, her eyes fixed in a far away point somewhere in the distance.

"Straight to the point…" smirked lightly the other angel. "It's not like you at all djudj. But I guess people change."

"Our world is in a constant state of change and people as a part of it must not be expected to stay static." Weren't you the one that taught me that?" asked Lilly with a hint of melancholy in her voice.

"Mmmm… I might have." barely smiled Nia, falling in memories. "If you want to take the bull by the horns then so be it. I'm here to remind you who you are."

"I know who I am Nia. I've remained true to myself, to the things we believed in and swore to uphold when we were younger. I might have changed but not that much." replied the Bulgarian turning to her friend, anger filling her words.

"I didn't mean that and you know it very well Lilly." said the thin Tatar woman as she looked straight into the hazel eyes of the nigh haired warrior. Her voice was strict and firm. "You're an angel. The woman you were died 7 years ago. With me, in the cold snowdrifts of Saint Petersburg. That second chance we received is not a second life Lilly. We are here with a purpose and that purpose is not to regain what we have lost but to help humanity. We are here to make sure that what He created doesn't fall into oblivion. I came here tonight to remind you that responsibility." Nia lowered her eyes and suddenly her voice became calm and soothing. "I came here as a friend. To tell you that I was, am and always will be by your side. And to warn you that if you don't remember who you are and what you're here for, they will make you remember and you might end up loosing really a lot this time." with that final words the Tatar stood up and looked at the sky for a second. "You have one month to reason with yourself. After that I won't be able to help you."

Nia slowly spread her wings and rose in the air. "If you need me, just call for me. I'll be right there by your side… as always." She smiled tenderly at her friend and disappeared in the darkness.

The night became colder. Too cold for a late spring night. Lilly was still sitting on the roof, deep in thoughts over what her longtime friend had just said. She was piercing the lightless sky, searching for a way out. A strong cool wind started blowing, messing her nigh black hair. Doubts and insecurity slowly settled in the angel's heart as tears started silently falling down her face. She hugged her knees, shivering but didn't move. The wind was blowing stronger and stronger. Finally after long minutes of struggle the hazel eyed woman gave in and decided to leave and try to catch some sleep. She waited a second for the winds to calm down and opened her white wings to fly back down to the ground. But in the middle of her flight the calm night air made way to a furious whirlwind. Lilly got caught right in the middle of it. Her body was tossed and hurled, stirred up and down, thrown at the mercy of the elements. The night air was filled with whizzing and hissing, almost as if the wind was alive. After a few minutes of blind rage, the hurricane like wind vanished, casting the angel down on the ground. Her wings looked broken and their snowy white color was stained with scarlet blood. Her body looked battered and bruised. She just lied on the soft grass, not being able to move, groaning in pain.

Ohgami turned in bed. He couldn't fall asleep. His mind was still tortured by the events of the day. Her tossed his pillow on the ground in anger and went to the window. The young Japanese sat on the sill and looked at night Teito. Everything was dark, as if the whole city was wrapped in a weird darkness. The Hanagumi captain was staring at the night in a queer sense of melancholy, drifting between dream and reality when a low moan took him out of his thoughts.

"Who's there!" questioned the spike haired man, trying hard to spot anything in the dark. He was answered only by another painful groan.

The full moon broke away from its gloomy cloud prison and cast a strong light over the TeiGeki park. Ohgami smiled at the beneficial circumstances but as soon as he gazed down to the ground, he gave out a cry full of fear. There was no doubt in his mind that the figure that lied on the grass was Lilly. The looks of her broken down body and the blood on her wings made his jet black eyes roll in panic. Blind to reality, Ohgami jumped out of the second floor window and quickly climbed down the wall.

"Lilly… Lilly… please… please tell me you're ok…" he almost cried while embracing the angel.

"Ichiro…" coughed painfully the Bulgarian. "I'm fine… Don't worry about me…" she forced a bloody smile.

"What happened to you koibito…" asked the young captain through his own troubled sobs.

The angel stood silent. She moved her gaze away from Ohgami but he made her look at him again. In her teary hazel pools he read endless frustration, hesitation, pain… even torture.

"It doesn't really matter…" he tried smiling tenderly. "What matters is that you're ok and you'll be safe now."

He gently took her in his arms and took her to the infirmary. There, the spike haired Japanese cleaned and bandaged her wounds. Luckily, they only looked bad. They turned out to be mostly superficial cuts and bruises. But her ankle was twisted and her wings were broken in quite a number of spots. Ohgami looked alarmed at the night haired woman. Sensing his stare, she opened her eyes.

"Don't worry Ichiro… the wings will heal. In less than a month they'll be as good as new." she gave a bittersweet smile. Ohgami smiled back faintly. He kissed her forehead gently and took her in his arms. Very slowly he walked to his room.

_My wings will heal… but will I heal… _thought the angel, cuddling close to the young man's chest, falling asleep by the soft lullaby of his heartbeats.

When he reached his room, Ohgami carefully opened the door and placed his precious load on the bed. He lied next to her and covered both of them with a blanket. He looked at her, softly caressing her cheeks as he removed a few wild strands of hair away from her face. His eyes gained a grim expression when he saw the pain and torture written on her pale sides.

_If only I knew how to help you my love… I'm here for you, I'll always be… I'll keep you safe… _

Ohgami kissed the angel's lips lightly and held her closely. Close to his heart, watching vigilantly over her till exhaustion got the best of him and he fell deep in a troubled sleep.

Author's notes:

Koibito (Japanese) – my love, lover

Koishii (Japanese) – diminutive from koibito

Daragaya (Russian) – darling, dear as well as a way of addressing someone close; might be used when you want to mock someone

Djudj – now, I don't think there is a word like this in any language. It was actually invented be my best friend Nia and me when we were in high school as our very own and unique way to address each other. And since Nia in real life is the prototype of the angel Nia in the story, it felt appropriate to use it. It's something very dear and personal so please **do not** use.

First I would really want to apologize to everybody for the slow update. I'm really sorry guys, I had some personal things to tend to that are really important in my life and stumbled upon a heavy exam session at school right after that. I still have about a month of exams so please be patient. I'm not abandoning the story though, just writing really slowly. I hope you like the chap, it took quite a long time (I think almost a month) to write and I was in a bit of hard times so I want to excuse myself in advance for the dark mood.

Second I would like to thank everybody that reads my work, especially Benji Himura, Shirogami and Greyhound Master for the warm words and constant support. Thanks a million guys, I wouldn't have made it without you:)

And lastly – I received an anonymous review that asked me why with some many female characters to choose from, I felt compelled to create a new one. I've been writing for quite a while, more than 10 years to be exact, though I usually write mostly poetry and almost 99 of what I write is self-inserted in one way or another. What can I say; I'm that kind of writer. I'm a girl so my self inserted character is a female and Lilly is sort of an enhanced image of me, sharing quite a number of my own trades.

Well, anyways… I hope you enjoy the story. Have fun and best wishes :)


	10. The Hardest Decision

Disclaimer: I don't own Sakura wars. I'm just a big fan. I do however own my own characters and story line, as well as my concept of angels. The story might contain violence, abusive language and sexual scenes. If you are underage you'd better stop here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story, have fun :)

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed it so far, please review, no matter good or bad :)

Chapter 10 The Hardest Decision

The first soft pink rays of the new day playfully caressed the pale face of the angel. Very slowly Lilly lifted her trembling eyelids. Her look wandered around the strange yet very familiar ceiling. She tried to stand up so she could examine better the room she was in but her efforts proved futile. She felt a strong grip on her body and as she turned to see its source, memories and visions from the previous night flooded her troubled mind. Nia's words circled through her head while she almost felt the hits of the wind on her body. Then one image emerged from the dark sea of her ongoing nightmare – a pair of deep jet black eyes that were smiling softly back at her.

_Ichiro…What am I going to do?..._

Hints of tears found their way to the hazel pools of the Bulgarian but she refused to let them fall as pearls on the bed sheets. She turned around and found herself in the strong and watchful embrace of the one who proved to be most precious to her heart – Ohgami. She softly smiled at him and gently traced his face with her palm. The young captain's worried expression was the last drop that made her now fragile heart break to tiny pieces. Very carefully the angel removed his hand and slipped out of the bed trying hard not to make a sound. Lilly tiptoed slowly across the room and when she reached the door she turned around to take one last sad glance at her lover.

"Don't go…" a low moan was heard from the bed as Lilly turned the door knob. Very slowly she turned her head around and her tired eyes met a pair of scared jet black ones. Long uneasy minutes they stayed just like this, staring each other straight in the eyes in tense silence – Ohgami praying the angel won't vanish, Lilly sinking deeply in her own frustration and uncertainty. The spike haired man could see the hidden tears shining in her shaky hazel eyes. The Bulgarian opened her mouth but no words came out. She lowered her gaze and opened the door.

Ohgami's eyes widened. He didn't hesitate for even a second, with a quick move he jumped out of the bed and leaped in the direction of the door. The young Hanagumi captain grabbed the angel just as she was walking out of the room.

"Lilly, don't go…" he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms tight round her fragile body. "I don't care what happened last night… I won't ask you to explain me what is going on… Just… please, don't go…"

The Bulgarian closed her eyes in tension, trying hard to fight her urges to turn around and drown in her lover's embrace and kisses. But when she felt the soft wetness of his silent tears on her neck, his shivering skin so close to hers, all the defenses she worked so hard to build up around her fell down in mere seconds. She gave up and her limp body collapsed in Ohgami's arms, sinking deep in his embrace, making them both fall on the floor. Very gently and slowly the spike haired Japanese made the angel turn to him. He tenderly drew his fingertips over the trails of her tears, barely touching her skin. He kissed the edges of her eyes, before melting his breath with hers.

Later in the evening

A dark silhouette moved quickly through the streets of Teito, barely seen in the shadows of the slowly falling asleep city. Soon it reached a small building near the harbor. One by one the street lamps went on and spread light on the dark surroundings. The silhouette slowly took the form of a man in a dark suit, leaning on the wall of a low-class hotel. He looked around to make sure nobody was there and disappeared in the back alley.

Minutes later, he entered a somber empty room on the second floor. His trained eyes scouted the darkness but he found nothing. Just as he was about to leave disappointed, he felt the coldness of a knife blade on his throat.

"You're late Kayama." a soft voice whispered near his ear.

"I got caught up." tensely answered the Tsukigumi captain.

Very slowly the owner of the knife took it away and its dark figure moved to sit on the sofa. Relieved Kayama stepped to the large floor to ceiling window. He lit a cigarette and after exhaling a large cloud of smoke, turned around. The full moon cast its light on the obscure room, revealing the night attacker. On the small frayed sofa sat a beautiful woman with short reddish brown hair and deep brown eyes that gazed sharply into the young man.

"I believe that it is accustomed for the one seeking information or help to be on time…" said the mysterious woman mockingly.

"True." answered Kayama somewhat angered. "I apologize, ok. I got held up, it doesn't matter. Will you help me or not?" he said a little irritated, trying hard to keep his cool.

"Hmmm… I don't know…" hesitated the woman, making the brown haired man fume with anger. She gave off a teasing smile. "Well, ok… for old times' sake." she smiled soothingly.

Kayama heaved a sigh of relief and smiled warmly. "You never change Nia. You're just like Lilly – an iron clad woman, teasing and mocking but deep beneath all the toughness lays a soft butter heart. Maybe that was what had drawn me so much to you back then." he paused for a minute, falling deep in his memories. "We fought so many battles together... shared so much… we were allies and friends… Why have you never told me about Lilly being your comrade? You knew that I had dedicated my life to searching her… Why Nia?"

The Tatar took a deep breath and slowly rose from the old sofa. She moved to the window and gazed into the flickering lights of the city. Her body was basking in the cold rays of the full moon and the brown haired Japanese could see every detail of her slender figure clad in a very short black skirt, a figure-hugging white shirt that revealed a good part of her breasts and knee-high black leather boots.

"I didn't know, Kayama." she said still staring at the city, trying to avoid his eyes. "I didn't know Lilly was your cousin. And even if I had known, I would never have been allowed to tell you. We are not who we are, not any more. Lilly, Shane, Vic and me… we are no longer the people we used to be…" her voice was full of sadness. The dark clouds wrapped the silver moon in their tight embrace and the young man couldn't see the shiny pearls in the corners of her eyes, which never came down because she didn't let them. Tense silence engulfed the small room.

"This isn't true, my dear friend." soothingly said the brown haired man as he gently put his hand round the angel's shoulder and pulled her in a hug. "You will always be who you are. No matter what happens, or what had happened, you will always keep your essence deep in your soul and in the hearts and memories of those who knew you."

The dark haired woman just smiled warmly in response and rested her head on Kayama's shoulder. For long minutes they stood like that, in the calming embrace of the night.

The coming back of the moon broke their idyllic solitude. They smiled tenderly at each other and the Tatar gestured at her friend to sit on the sofa. Kayama just nodded and sat down on the left end, lighting another cigarette while Nia sat opposite him.

"Tell me now Kayama, how can I help you?" she asked him calmly.

The Japanese took a deep drag of his cigarette and looked the angel straight in the eyes with a determined gaze flaming in his brown pools.

"I want to know what is going on Nia. What the hell happened yesterday and why is Lilly acting like a ghost all day? I want the whole truth this time!" the Tsukigumi captain raised his voice a few notes higher to state his determination in finding the answer.

The angel stood calm, not intimidated by his tone. She looked straight in his brown eyes emotionlessly.

"Do you really think you can handle the truth?" she asked with only a slight mockery as emotion in her voice.

"I don't care if the truth is hard to swallow! I need to know what is going on!" replied Kayama infuriated.

"I can't tell you Kayama." she said after a few moments, avoiding his stare. "You have to understand my friend, this is for your own good… and maybe for hers as well."

Slowly Nia rose and walked to the window. She touched the cool glass and stared lonely in the city that even soundly asleep flickered with life. Kayama opened his mouth to say something but his angry words froze in his throat as the angel spoke out first.

"All I can say to you right now is that she is facing a hard decision. She must take responsibility for her actions and see how she would move on. You can't do anything about it, she must find all that out on her own. All you can do is be there for her." the Tatar woman stopped and closed her eyes. Very slowly she turned the brown haired Japanese and looked straight at him with concerned eyes. "Be there for her Kayama… she needs your support and love, now more than ever…"

Teito, June 1929

Almost two week have passed since Lilly got that night visit from her best friend. The Hanagumi were too busy preparing the new play and didn't notice that the angel was slowly but surely slipping in a world of her own. Everybody seemed to not see that she was alienating herself from life. Everybody, except Ohgami. The young captain was getting really worried about his beloved woman.

"Ohgami!" a loud voice echoed throughout the small office. But there was no response to it. The spike haired man was mindlessly supporting his head on his arm, gazing out the window with a dull expression on his face.

"OHGAMI!" the voice was gradually getting angry. Still no answer. The mind of the dark haired Japanese was drifting far, far away in the world of his troubles. His jet black eyes stood fixed at a distant point in the sunny summer afternoon, as if all life was drained from them.

"OOOOHHHGAAAMMMIIIIII!" the hard and loud slap of a heavy fist on the desk right under his nose made the Hanagumi captain snap out of his worried thoughts. Very slowly he turned his head to the source of the disturbance. What he saw made him spring out of his chair like a champagne cork, causing all the papers pilled up in front of him to fall on the floor. General Yoneda was standing on the other side of the desk, hands on his hips, looking at the confused Lieutenant with angry, irritated eyes.

"What the hell are you doing Ohgami!" almost yelled the old man. "More than half of the day has passed and you have done practically nothing! And I come to find you here daydreaming on the job! It's inadmissible! You're a total disgrace to the team and the army!" once more Yoneda landed his heavy fist on the desk, making even more papers spread on the floor. He glared the young man angrily but at the sight of the frustrated and even a little scared Lieutenant his fury evaporated. "Whatever personal worries and problems you have, you must leave them behind. At least at your working station. Think of the girls Ohgami, of Teito, of your honor…" the General added calmly but still firmly. He gave the young man one last meaningful stare and silently left the room.

_God… what the hell am I going to do…_ The spike haired captain wondered as he collapsed in his chair.

Meanwhile…

On a secluded hill in the city park Kaede and Kayama were enjoying the soft summer sun. The brown eyed man's head was resting in the lap of his lover while the woman's tender fingers were running through his hair. But even in this serene bliss the spy couldn't relax and lay off his worries and that didn't escape the beauty beside him.

"What's wrong, anata?" she asked with hints of sadness in her voice.

"Huh?…" sighed the young man, taken out of his thoughts. "Nothing's wrong sweetheart." he answered after a few seconds.

"Don't lie to me Kayama!" yelled the brunette, leaping sharply from her position thus making the sailor's head fall roughly on the grass canopy. "I can clearly feel and even see something's not right so don't lie to me!" small tears appeared in the corners of her eyes but her face remained determined. "I don't deserve that!"

Shaken, the Japanese man couldn't even move from the ground for long moments. His mind slowly sank in and he was quick on his feet to take his love in a soothing embrace.

"Kaede…" he whispered softly in her ear, drawing his fingertips over her soft hair and the tender skin on the back of her neck. "I'm so sorry… I just didn't want to burden you with my troubles." he added, hugging her closer.

"But that's what love is all about anata…" she whispered, cuddling her head closer to his heart. "To carry the burden of life together in happiness and sorrow…"

Reluctantly Kayama parted from the blissful closeness they were wrapped in just to take Kaede's breath away with a passionate kiss. After long moments their lips separated and the young lovers sat on the soft green carpet in a warm embrace.

"Now…" Kaede was the first to break the sweet silence. "tell me what's eating you."

The Tsukigumi captain took a deep breath and gazed at the distant horizon.

"I have a really bad feeling about all this… I don't like where thing are headed, I don't like it at all… I'm really worried about Lilly but she is a very strong person and I guess Nia is right, she must face this on her own. What I'm really worried about is how this is going to affect Ohgami and the girls, especially Ohgami…" said the brown haired man almost under his breath but Ayame's little sister heard it very well. Chills ran down her spin as she recalled the last few days and both her friends' behaviors and made the math with the new information she just digested. She clung closer to Kayama. The young man was a little taken aback by her action but very soon rested his cheek on Kaede's soft head.

"Now I understand…" the brunette woman finally broke the silence that was tense and soothing at the same time. "I understand why Ichiro was acting so weird lately and why it seemed like Lilly had disappeared in a hole in the ground."

"What do you mean weird?" asked puzzled Kayama.

"It's like he's not even there sometimes… he seems to be spacing out at almost all times. He tries to drown himself with work but he doesn't even read the documents Kazumi and Yuri pill up in front of him. I guess he is so deeply troubled about something that it's affecting his job both as an usher in the theater and as the leader of the Hanagumi."

"Hmm…" the brown eyed spy was taking a moment to comprehend what he just heard. "You're getting me even more worried about him…" he said at last.

"Then you should go and talk to him right now, be there for him. He's your friend."

"But I want to stay with you…" complained the brown haired man.

Kaede just smiled, cupped his chin gently and kissed him softly. "Me too… But he is your friend and he needs you now, so you should go to him. I'll be waiting for you. I love you…"

"I love you too." whispered the young man, melting their lips in a passionate kiss before he disappeared in the soft greenness of the park, basking in the golden rays of the afternoon sun.

Ohgami was still sitting behind his desk, trying hard to finish the big pill of documents that towered in front of him. His stare seemed to pierce through the paper and found its target somewhere in the uncertainty of the distant sky. Out of the blue a warm palm softly fell on the spike haired man's shoulder, taking him out of his troubled thoughts.

"What the… who?..." asked scared the young Lieutenant as he fell down on the floor. "Ohh… Kayama, it's you…" he said smiling. "You startled me out of my breath my friend but I'm glad you're here."

"That's what friends are for Ohgami, to help each other in times of need." smiled back the brown eyed sailor. "Tell me, what can I do for you my friend? I'm worried about you… Kaede is also concerned." Kayama gazed through the opened window into the hot summer afternoon. The back garden of the theater which the office was overlooking was shinning in the late day sun. The air was filled with the sweet perfumes of the numerous flowers that grew there. Among them the spy recognized a very familiar one that painted a bitter smile on his face. "Lilly too…" he added after a few moments of silence with a melancholic note in his voice.

Ohgami, who was sitting on the window sill, almost fell at the mention of his source of worries. As hard as he tried to cover it, that didn't escape the trained eye of his friend. But Kayama didn't say a thing. Tense silence fell upon the two young men. The room was so quiet that even the soft breeze running through the leaves and grass could be heard.

"Lilly…" repeated under his breath the jet black eyed Japanese, his voice filled with love, pain, worry and sadness. "I want to know what happened that night Kayama… I need to know…" he paused, using all the strength he had to hold back his frustrated tears. "I need to know why the woman I love more than life itself is shutting herself from the world around her… why is she avoiding me… not talking to me, not even looking at me…." he looked Kayama straight into the eyes with a stare that made the Tsukigumi captain's blood freeze. It was so angry, so hopeless, so much in pain. "I need to know what the hell happened that night… because it broke something inside her and is making her sink deep in a dark world of her own… I need to know…"

The brown haired man stayed silent. His shaky gaze was fixed somewhere in the far away distance where the azure blue sky kissed the earth. He could feel Ohgami's eyes piercing his soul, seeking answers. Answers they deserved to know and that he couldn't give.

"I don't know Ichiro." he finally uttered after long uneasy moments. His voice was dry and harsh, his deep brown pools still avoiding his friend's eyes. "I think that the only person who can answer your questions is Lilly. Don't give up Ichiro… don't give up…"

And just as he appeared, he vanished in thin air leaving the spike haired man to his thoughts. Ohgami kept on sitting on the sill, his back to the window frame, his jet black eyes melted into the green sea of the garden. The sun was hidden by the white fluffy clouds and all nature seemed as sad as the young man's heart. His searching stare stood still as it fell upon the small brick red isle in the emerald ocean. The roof of the gardener's house. His heart started shedding bitter silent tears as the two fiery coals on his shivering face sought a way out of all the torture.

The sun was slowly making its journey down to its western resting place leaving a blood red trail in the sky. Lilly was sitting on the warm wooden floor of the front porch of the small Japanese cottage, hugging tightly her knees. The happy child was tenderly caressing her pale face that showed signs of a sever lack of sleep as well as traces of dried tears.

_Why… why is He punishing me… maybe I deserve punishment… but is really what I have done wrong?... I don't even know who I am any more… what I am… What should I do?... Ichiro… what should I do…Is Nia really right?... Did the woman I was die back there, in that cold winter night?... If she has died, then why do I feel like this!...Why is this passion burning my chest?... Why is my soul flickering with these feelings I harbor deep within?... friendship, love, happiness…The feeling that I finally belong somewhere… If the human I was died then why do I feel this way… what I am…_

You could almost hear her heart breaking in thousands of small pieces. The sky was covered in grayish violet and blood red clouds. Soft, barely noticeable rain started silently falling. The wind was crying amidst the flowers, the branches, the grass and the emerald crowns of the trees. Nature was singing her sad song.

"Why did you plant it, sladurano?" a muted voice asked from behind.

The angel turned her head to the source of the voice. There, a few meters away from her, under the soft rain stood Kayama. His hair and clothes were soaked even though the rain wasn't strong. His face, his eyes showed sadness and melancholy beyond recognition. Lilly just stayed there, sitting on the now cool wooden floor, looking at him with shivering eyes filled with unsheded tears. She could see he had been standing there under the crying sky for a long time, observing her. The words were burning in her mouth but she couldn't utter them. With slow steps the brown haired man came close to his cousin. He kneeled down and grabbed her gently by the shoulders looking in the hazel pools with eyes filled with sorrow and impasse.

"Why did you plant it…" he asked again, his voice even lower as his eyes got moist.

The night haired woman was looking back at him scared, unable to say anything. She moved her lips but no words came out. Kayama pulled her in a tight embrace, holding her close to his heart. It was so quiet. The wind had calmed down and the only sounds heard were the two racing hearts and the soft tears of the sad summer falling on the ground. Still holding her close, Kayama broke the silence. His voice was as low as a whisper, filled a bitter sweet mix of emotions.

"Do you remember it Lilly… that day so many years ago… We were going to leave for Japan that day. You woke me so early in the morning, the sky had a strange shade of deep blue with dashes of violet which I will never forget. It was so clear we could even see the Milky Way. I've never seen another sky like that in my entire life. You grabbed my hand, urging me to hurry and dragged me out of my sleep. We walked for a few hours, slowly climbing down the mountain, till we reached a small clearing. Carefully you took me to the edge and we sat down on the wet with dew grass. As we waited for the sun to rise, you held me close and asked me to promise you that whatever happens I would never forget you… because I would be always in your heart. Those were your words… twenty years have passed and they still linger in my mind. The sky slowly changed its color to grayish pink and you gently brushed away our tears and made me look away. The sun began rising and an enchanting sight unveiled in front of our eyes. An enormous field of beautiful pink roses that seemed to stretch till the horizon. As the sun caressed the waking flowers with its soft first rays, the drops of morning dew they were covered in began to shine. I felt as if I was surrounded by a beautiful ocean out of this world. When the roses started opening, the air filled with a strange heavy, very sweet aroma. A special and unique perfume I would never forget. This was your way of saying goodbye, giving me that wonderful sight… a memory to cherish and remember you by. There's another thing from that day I would always remember too… your eyes. Shining from the tears, filled with love and sadness, hope and melancholy…" slowly he parted from the tight embrace. He cupped her chin and looked deep in her hazel eyes. "Just like they are now. There is no scent like the perfume of the rose from Kazanlak… Why did you plant it here sladka… Why…"

The now purple sky kept on shedding its soft silent tears as they stood like that – sitting on the cold wooden floor close to each other, sinking in each others eyes, their fingers laced together as bitter tears fell down their pale faces.

A few days later

Lilly was walking through the theater halls in one of the rare occasions she left the Gardener's house. Deep in her thoughts, she didn't notice Kanna turning a corner. Seconds later the two women were on the floor rubbing their heads.

"Sorry Lilly, didn't see you there… sorry…" awkwardly smiled the Okinawan.

"Ahh… it's ok." replied the angel. "It's me who should be apologizing. I must be more careful… I was spacing out, I guess… I'm sorry." she smiled softly as she stood up and helped the redhead do the same. She bowed and went on her way.

"Oi Lilly…" shouted Kanna after her. The night haired woman froze in her steps and turned around. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see Ayame, I need to talk with her. I'm not on the wrong floor, am I?" she said with a soft laughter in her voice.

"You're not." smiled the tall karate master. "But Ayame is not here. She left to an important meeting yesterday and isn't going to be back till tomorrow. But I thought you knew that…"

"Must have slipped my mind…" replied the Bulgarian as she lowered her eyes.

"Anyway, I'm glad I met you. We all haven't seen you around lately and we weren't sure if you knew that the play was opening tomorrow night, right after the Major comes back."

"I didn't know." said Lilly with a hint of sadness in her voice. "Thanks Kanna but I don't think I'll be able to come tomorrow."

"Ohh… Why not?" asked the red haired actress with disappointment. "After all it's your play and trust me there's nothing like the opening night."

The angel just gave a faint smile. "I'll see what I can do." she said and with a slow pace disappeared from Kanna's sight.

A slow stream of people was flooding the theater the next evening. It was quite common for the famous actresses, known all throughout the country and beyond, to draw a full house, especially on an opening night. Hidden in the shadows of the upper balcony which was closed due to urgent repair works, Lilly was blushing in a deep shade of crimson. She felt so warm, so happy. It was like she was walking in a dream.

The lights slowly faded till the hall became dark. Butterflies invaded the angel's stomach and her heart skipped a beat as the heavy velvet curtain began to rise. A spot light hit the stage revealing Maria sitting in a dark forest dressed in tattered clothes and with a sad and desperate expression on her face.

A couple of hours later the night haired Bulgarian hadn't moved from her spot. Her eyes were fixed on the stage. In its very centre Kanna and Maria were sitting on the ground in a warm embrace. A little to the side Sakura, Sumire and Kohran were watching happily the duo. The entire scene was observed by Iris who was sitting on a tree branch. The blond girl was wearing a sheer white dress and a chaplet of forest flowers on her head. The young French actress began to sing and soon one by one the rest of the Hanagumi followed. The hall was filled with a sad yet hopeful song that spoke of the value of friendship and love. The spotlight went out and the heavy red curtain slowly crawled down. An explosion of applause erupted in the theater hall and one by one all the spectators rose to their feet. Lilly's eyes were still gazing at the stage where the curtain was now lifting to allow the girls to take their bows. Silent happy tears were streaming down her face. She stood like that for a few moments then slowly started to leave. Just at that moment two soft hands landed on her shoulders and pulled her in a tender hug.

"I knew you would come." a gentle voice whispered in her ear. "It was so enchanting. You did a great job."

"Ichiro…" barely heard whispered the angel, hints of sadness rang in her voice as her tears kept on falling.

The spike haired Japanese very slowly made her turn to him and softly kissed the edges of her eyes, gulping all her tears. Then he tenderly enveloped her fluffy lips and drank her breath. After a few blissful moments unwillingly he parted their lips to take a look at her face. Lilly opened her mouth to say something but the young man placed his finger on her crimson lips.

"Shhhh… no words. Please, just let me be with you tonight… please…"

She looked straight in his jet black eyes. They were filled with so much love… asking from the bottom of his heart… from each corner of his soul… As hard as she was fighting she couldn't resist that stare. She just nodded her head softly. Ohgami leaned closer and kissed her again. Gently he took her in his arms, holding her close to his heart and disappeared in the darkness of the theater.

The full moon was shinning through the opened window of the small Japanese styled cottage. The air was filled with the soft perfume of the night flowers. The silver rays were tenderly caressing the two naked bodies, lying fussed amidst the tangles sheets of the futon. The tatami floor was covered thousands of rose petals and a few burned out candles.

"I want to give you something." softly whispered Ohgami as he kissed the angel's neck. He reached for a small velvet box on the near table. The night haired Bulgarian sat on the futon, covering herself with the silk sheets. Hugging her gently from behind, the young Lieutenant placed the little box in her lap. Lilly opened it and inside lay a beautifully craft silver lightning with a small transparent tear shaped blue stone in the middle. The angel was speechless. She turned around in Ohgami's arms and kissed him softly. After she broke the kiss, he smiled at her tenderly and made her turn around so he could tie the black lace round her neck. As he did, Lilly held the lightning close to her heart.

"It looks so good on you koishii…" said the dark haired man as he pulled her in a passionate kiss.

An invisible silver hand gently went over the two bodies that seemed as one, drawing its finger over their skin. The angel was resting her head over Ohgami's heart while he was softly running his fingers through her long night black hair. She moved just a bit and he felt the coldness of the lightning shaped necklace. His thoughts took him back to the day he bought it.

Sumire had often asked him to go to that store when he helped her with the shopping and now he knew why. The shop was really small and ungainly but there was something really special about the store owner. He was an old stooped jeweler who seemed to have the gift to read people's souls and find out what was suitable for them at the right time.

It was maybe a month ago when Ohgami hesitantly walked through the creaky door. It was late and the shop was empty. Mr. Kokubunji was probably preparing to close down because there was nobody behind the counter either. A few moments later a rather short man with long white hair appeared. With curious eyes he examined the spike haired man from head to toe.

"I know you, young lad." he said after a few moments with a wide smile on his face. "You're the one that accompanies Miss Kanzaki. If you're coming to get her order tell her that I'm very sorry but it will be ready next week."

"Uuuhh…actually… uhhh…" barely uttered Ohgami.

"Mmmmm… I see, so you're here to buy something for yourself." nodded the old man. "A special gift for someone very dear, am I right?"

Ohgami could only shake his head in approval.

"Hmmmm… let's see, describe the lucky lady for me please."

"Well… she's a European…" slowly started the dark eyed Japanese. "With very long silk night black hair and deep hazelnut eyes… her skin is milky white and so soft…" his jet black pools got dreamy as he told the craftsman about the angel.

"Ahhhh… but I know the lady well… she has come here with Miss Kanzaki several times. An enchanting and mystic woman indeed. But there's something sad deep inside her soul…" he fell deep in his mind, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "Ahaaa!" he shouted and quickly disappeared in the back of the store. After a few moments he came back very carefully holding something wrapped in a velvet dark blue cloth. Slowly he uncovered it and showed Ohgami a beautiful lightning with a blue stone in the middle. "I made that almost 29 years ago… It was so precious to me that I never put it for sale. That stone you see in the middle is said to be a dragon tear. It is said to be very rare, which is why most people don't even believe things like that exist. According to the legend the dragon tear harbors an enormous hidden power. If given with love it will protect its owner and forever link the one who wears it with the person who gave it to them. But all of this is superstition." added the jeweler with a subtle irony.

"I can't take this…" refused the young Hanagumi captain. "It seems too precious to you…"

"Hmmm… it's true that this is very dear to my heart… to tell you the truth young man, my late wife helped me craft it. And she was the one that found the dragon tear." he paused sinking in his memories.

"Now, more than before, I simply can't take it…" shook his head Ohgami.

The old master smiled. "You're a good young lad. And that beautiful girl… she's like magic… It's not a matter of you wanting or not, the necklace has finally found its owner…"

Ohgami tenderly drew his hand over Lilly's soft cheek, trailing it down on her shoulder and arm. He felt her skin shivering under his fingertip. Her steady calm heartbeat was like a lullaby to his worried mind. Subconsciously he held her tighter, closer to him as if he feared he would lose her.

_I hope it protects you my love… because I fear I won't be able to… _

A coupe of days later

Lilly was sitting at the back porch of the gardener's house watching the beautiful sunset. But the marvelous sight of nature's true craftsmanship didn't seem to move her at all as she was deep in her thoughts.

_Nia's deadline is dangerously approaching… What should I do… What?... How can I make a decision when my head and my heart go in opposite directions…_

She grabbed her head in her hands, shaking it violently. She felt like crying but her tears were all dried out. She cried so much that her heart had no more pearls to shed.

_What must I do?… _

With slow steps she went inside. After a few minutes, she walked out the front door, clad in sky blue jeans with some white water Lilies sewed on them and a loose white linen blouse with a low boat like neckline. Her long hair was neatly braded. Agile as a cat she quickly disappeared in the city.

Silently she wandered around the alive streets of Teito. Everywhere she looked, she saw memories of her stay at the TeiGeki, of her friendship with the girls, of her love with Ohgami… Slowly her feet led her to the city park. There, she sat under the shade of a big Sakura tree gazing at the small lake. Staring at the even water only made her feel sadder. She drowned deep in her memories and thoughts and almost didn't feel a soft hand shaking lightly her shoulder.

"Lilly-neechan… Lilly-neechan…" a tiny cheerful voice filled the hot summer air. "Wake up!"

Startled the night haired woman turned around to see a young blond girl with the most shining smile.

"Iris…" she said faintly, smiling back. "You scared me."

The sun on the girl's face suddenly became overcast. Softly she sat down next to the angel and huddled in her arms.

"Iris didn't mean to scare you, Lilly-neechan. Iris was calling for you but Lilly-neechan wouldn't answer. Why didn't you answer, did Iris do something wrong?" asked the French almost trough tears, looking straight into the hazel eyes of the older woman.

The Bulgarian tenderly tapped the soft blond head, smiling at the scared young girl. "No Iris, you didn't do anything wrong. It was my fault. I was so lost in my thoughts that I haven't even heard you. Gomen nasai."

"There's no need to apologize, Lilly-neechan." the blue eyed girl's smile went back on her lovely face. "But why were you so deep in your thoughts?" concerned asked Iris.

"I was searching for an answer." said melancholically the angel, moving her gaze to the distance. After a few moments she looked back at Iris only to see a confused expression on the teenager's face. That brought a soft smile to her lips. She lovingly caressed the golden hair. "You see Iris, before me lays a very important decision… A decision that might change the course of not only my life, but also of the life of someone very dear to me." the Bulgarian sighed deeply and once again moved, fell into the welcoming far away line of the horizon. "There are two ways out of this situation I am in and unfortunately both ways will bring pain. I don't know which way to chose, because I don't want to bring pain to those close to me."

Looking at the pale sides of the angel, Iris could easily spot the shinning trails of the silent tears falling from the deep hazel eyes.

"Lilly-neechan, please don't cry. Iris doesn't like when people cry. Iris may be little but Iris knows one thing – every roses have thorns and life isn't an all-pleasure journey. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. Sometimes you have to hurt the people you care about in order to protect them from even more pain… It may sound cruel but it's true… sadly it's too often true. And if that person really cares for you as well, they must understand."

The night haired woman very slowly turned and faced the young girl. "Iris…" she just said lovingly, drowning in those endless blue eyes. "Thank you…" she whispered softly as she embraced tightly the blond actress.

Iris smiled warmly, happy she the angel was no longer crying. Then all of a sudden she opened her eyes in panic.

"Lilly-neechan, we must go to the theater quick!" almost screamed the young girl.

"What has happened Iris, is anything wrong?" asked the Bulgarian in concern.

"No, nothing is wrong. Iris just remembered. Manager Yoneda has sent us to search for you and get you to the theater as soon as possible. There is somebody there looking for you."

Lilly's blood froze. Her face gained a pale and scared expression.

"Who is looking for me?" she asked faintly, trying hard to hide her fear.

"Manager Yoneda wouldn't say. He just said to get you quick because it was important." answered the blond girl, looking concerned with what she read in the angel's eyes. "Is everything all right Lilly-neechan?"

"Yes, Iris. Don't worry." the night haired woman forced a smile, gently caressing the young actress's head. "We should be going then. Everything is all right." she added barely heard more to reassure herself than Iris.

A little later

"Come in." answered the General after a timid knock on the door of his office was heard.

"You wanted to see me Pappy Yoneda." trying to sound as cheerful as possible Lilly slowly entered the room.

"Yes, Koneko. There is someone here to see you." he gazed to one of the two chairs in front of his desk.

Slowly a silhouette rose from one of them. A well build teenager with short silver hair stood silently opposite the angel and respectfully saluted her.

"Reni? What are you doing here?" asked the Bulgarian in surprise.

"I'm here to take you home…" answered almost emotionlessly Second Lieutenant Reni Milchstrasse.

Utter shock took over the entire room as well as over all the women scattered on the other side of the door. For long uneasy minutes no other words broke the silence that fell like a dark cloud upon the cozy little office. Only the tense looks that Lilly and Ayame, who was standing by the window, gave each other.

"A problem occurred that requires your immediate intervention." finally continued the silvered haired girl. "I was asked to brief and assist you along the way. I am sorry but I cannot reveal any more information right now." she turned her gaze to Yoneda and Ayame. "We must leave right away."

"Very well then…" answered the angel still fixing her hazel eyes on Ayame's. After a few seconds the Major lowered her stare regretfully, realizing what the determination she read in the two precious stones on the Bulgarian's face meant. Slowly the night haired woman walked to the window, followed by the German. "Ayame will you please do me a favor?" she said without turning. "Reni and I will prepare my luggage, will you please gather the girls, I want to say good bye… and please find my absent-minded cousin and his lovely girlfriend. I'm sure they must be making out somewhere…" she added with a sad smile just before spreading her wings and flying out of the window with the silver haired teenager.

Lilly landed softly in front of the Gardener's House. She put Reni on the ground and smiled at her tenderly. Then with slow scared steps she entered the small Japanese cottage. The blue eyed German looked concerned at her friend's back and after a few moments followed her inside. In silence they began packing the angel's clothes and personal belongings. Each little memory brought more pain and tears to the Bulgarian's heart.

"Tell me, Reni…" the night haired woman broke the uneasy silence. "It was all Nia's idea right… you coming here to get me."

Startled Reni turned to her friend. She gave off a bitter expression as she felt the sadness with which the angel was looking at a framed picture of her surrounded by the Hanagumi.

"She is worried about you…" said the German at last. "But it's only half true. They really need your help with a mission right now. What Nia did was only to send me here earlier."

"I would have left tomorrow anyway, you know… just at her deadline…" absentmindedly replied Lilly.

"Would you have really done that Koneko?..." a voice through tears came from behind.

"Ayame…" barely uttered the Bulgarian before the older woman fell into her arms.

"Would you really have just vanished from our lives… just like you came… like the warm whiff of a far away dream…" whispered the brown haired Japanese into Lilly's chest.

"I have to Kotori… I have to…" little pearls formed at the corner of her hazel eyes. "I don't want to leave… once again you gave me a place to call home, I found so many friends here… If I had a choice, I would have stayed… But I care about all of you too much and my heart has no choice. I don't wish to see you hurt so I must go…"

"But Iris doesn't want Lilly-neechan to go!" crying the blond girl rushed to the warm embrace of the Bulgarian.

"It's better this way Iris." gently the hazel eyed woman patted the young actress. Tenderly she kissed her forehead and placed her palm on her chest. "But I will always be with you… here, in your heart and you will be in mine."

One by one all the girls said their goodbyes to their friend. It seemed like a gloomy cloud had fell upon the TeiGeki, tears shone in everybody's eyes, even the General let his feeling go.

"Take care of my little cousin alright?..." said Lilly as she embraced warmly Kaede.

"I will. You take care of yourself, ok?" replied the Japanese.

For long minutes the two cousins stood looking in each other's eyes.

"How cruel can life be, heh militchak?" sadly said the angel. "We find each other just to be separated again."

"Yeah… but now I know you're there and my life has meaning again thanks to you." replied Kayama as he pulled the Bulgarian into a tight hug.

"Please take care of him for me." barely heard whispered Lilly in his ear.

"I promise. Why don't you wait till tomorrow he should be here by night fall." the brunette man whispered back so only she could hear him.

"It's better like this… I wouldn't bear to see his eyes when I say goodbye."

With sad faces the girls, Ayame and Yoneda followed the two female silhouettes till they disappeared from their sight. Silent tears sparkled in the hazel eyes as with slow steps the angel walked towards the exit of the place that made her soul spread its wings and fly free to the clear blue skies.

Late in the night

Tired from the boring navy meeting, Ohgami dragged his heavy feet on the clear paths of the TeiGeki Park. He should have reported at the General's office right after he returned but he decided that it was too late anyway. Instead, he put all the strength he had into getting to the little house at the far end of the garden faster. Finally he reached it but to his surprise not a single candle flame scared the darkness of the night away. Concerned, he quickened his pace. The spike haired man rushed into the house only to find it empty. There was no trace of the previous cozy atmosphere, of all the candles and small signs of happy memories that Lilly used to keep. Frantically he ran around the entire house. Nothing. Only cold and darkness. Then, something white caught his glance. On the desk in the bedroom there was a small envelope with the word _"Ichiro"_ written on it. With shaky fingers the young captain unfolded the piece of paper that was inside and slowly began to read the neat handwriting. Halfway through the letter it fell off his hands. Endless shock and pain drowned his jet black eyes as he collapsed on his knees on the tatami floor.

"No…." a low tortured groan left his lips as silent, filled with grief tears from his wounded heart rained on the small piece of paper.

Author's notes:

anata (Japanese) – as far as I know the first meaning of the word is "you" but it also used by women to their lover with the meaning "dear"

sladurano (Bulgarian) – sweetie

sladka (Bulgarian) – my sweet, sweetie or something in that line

militchak (Bulgarian) – a diminutive for darling

Kazanlak (Bulgarian) – an actual city in Bulgaria, one of the most famous cities from the Rose Valley (which I actually try to describe in the chap). The rose of Kazanlak is a famous oil giving rose.

Another long one… I don't know what is happening to me these days. Sorry for the delay guys but I guess summer is not only fun and games but also hard work and I barely get some free time for myself… I would like to send a lot of thanks to everybody that is reading that story, especially to Benji Himura, Shirogami, HaruNatsu and Greyhound master (hope you like the appearance of Reni in the story ;) ), thanks for all the never ending support and kind words. You guys are what keeps me going! Stay tuned cause this is surely not the end… What will happen next, is Lilly gone for good? Well, I'm gonna torture you a little to find out (bad me, hahahahaha). Anyway, enjoy the story and please review. Best wishes:)


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